The New Girl In Town
by Jazz777
Summary: Set after Breaking Dawn. What happens when Forks gains two new members? Will Leah finally have the happy ending she wants and deserves? And what happens when two people fall for the same girl? Is this another Jacob-Bella-Edward situation? What if this person has the potential to start a war? T-M, RxR thanks!
1. Suspicious Beginnings

**So, this is my first fanfic EVER! o.0 and I really hope it turns out well. First, I do not own any of the Twilight books, and I am not trying to hate or anything on Twihards. Sorry if you find something disagreeable. I am just writing this for practice! Please read and don't give up on me yet!**

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The rain drifts through the sky. I sigh against the cold, damp window. Everything in Forks is damp. Damp, damp, and damper! Will the sun ever grace this town? I turn away from the window in frustration.

"Val!" I ignore the deep, male voice coming from the other room. "Valerie! Hurry up and get your lazy butt out of your room!" I roll my eyes.

"God, Trevor! I'm coming!" I yell through the door. Grabbing my backpack off of my bed, I race out of my room, nearly tripping over my untied black, sneakers. Cursing internally, I grab a poptart from the kitchen and follow Trevor out the door.

I glare back at the small, newly bought house. Trevor, my younger brother, and I had just moved in a week ago. We had lived in Washington D.C. for most of our lives, but last year our parents died. Things had gone from bad to worse. None of our family wanted us, so I took our parents' savings and moved the hell away from all of them. Now I take care of bills and Trevor looks after the house and truck. We take care of each other.

I glance at my brother. His brown hair flops casually in front of his face. He's seventeen, but still my baby brother. I always worry about him. Sadness and pain haunt his eyes. I haven't seen him smile happily since our parents died. Shaking my head at the painful memories, I get in my truck. It's blue paint is chipping and the seats have seen better days, put it was the cheapest car in the lot. Trevor gets in beside me and throws his backpack in the back. I start the car and pull away from the driveway.

We drive along the road and soon I spot the top of a broad building. Trevor sits up eagerly in his seat. I smile; at least he's excited to start a new life. I pull into the parking lot. I watch as streams of chatting and laughing students make their way toward the front doors of the school.

"Hurry up Val, school time!" Trevor jumps out of the car, laughing.

"Since when are you excited for school?" I ask grumpily.

"Whatever sis," he replies, giving me a gentle shove. I slap him in the shoulder and start walking. The rain has subsided slightly and Trevor and I continue to banter back and forth until we reach the front desk. We each get our schedules and go our separate ways. I have chemistry first. Great. The subject I'm worst at is the one I have to take early in the morning. I stifle a yawn and find the classroom.

A few people are in their seats and I hurriedly take a seat in the very back of the room. The teacher is late on the very first day of school. Figures, I think and shake my head in annoyance. Murmurs disturb my thoughts.

"I heard she had plastic surgery!" Whispers one girl.

"No! It was an internal skin procedure, I swear it!" Exclaims another. The first girl shakes her head. "Whatever it is, she looks exactly like them! Weird." I sit back in my seat. Who are they talking about? Oh well, I have no time to think about frivolous rumors. The room falls silent. I look up.

Three gorgeous people walk quietly through the door. The first is a brunette; she keeps her head low and is holding the second person's hand. The guy, holding the brunette's hand, has copper colored hair. The third is a small, dainty girl. She bounces happily beside the first two. Suddenly, the small one freezes. Her eyes glaze over and for a moment the three of them become rigid. The delicate one looks straight at me, but quickly turns away and takes a seat across from her companions. Weird. I make a mental note about their strange, porcelain-like skin, and unrealistic beauty, but then file it away for another time. The teacher has finally come in, complaining about the weather. I sigh and settle back for a long day.

Lunch finally arrives and I grab a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. Trevor comes over to sit with me. He munches on a bag of chips while recounting his first day adventures. I listen and smile when he says that he's made friends. Good. I want him to feel at home; even if I never will.

"Anyway, this guy, Wess was talking about this really weird family called the Cullens. They're like all related but their dating or some crazy-ass thing like that," Trevor goes on.

"Really? That's interesting," I mumble.

"Yeah, and so apparently they own an elephant and work for the circus. In fact, I'm going to join them. I heard their mom is really hot too. I'm sure _she's_ really interesting," he looks at me expectantly. I nod.

"Yea. That is interesting… wait, what? Trevor!" I glare at him and throw my water bottle at his face. He laughs.

"Just making sure you were listening," he gives me an angelic smile and continues telling me everything about his day.

I feel a breeze and look up to the cafeteria door. Four beautiful people enter the room. The first three were the three people I saw in chemistry. The third has curly blonde hair and a breathtaking face. At first he doesn't notice me, but then he looks up. His eyes go from an awed look to a harsh, dark expression. My chest flutters and a sudden urge to go to him comes over me. His companions quickly grab him and exit the cafeteria. My stomach twists uneasily. Who was that? Trevor keeps talking. He didn't notice that strange group of people. I shrug off the weird feeling that looking at that guy gave me, and turn back to Trevor.

School was painful. I was glad it was over. Being eighteen and in my final year of high school was boring and a waste of time. I have to focus on getting money to support Trevor and I. I drop Trevor off at our house and drive deeper into the center of the tiny town of Forks. My new job is working at a restaurant called Le Chandrale. I change into the waitress uniform and begin my shift. I glance at the menu. The chef's special is boiled catfish with mustard-dipped sea prawns. Yummy. I nearly gag and set the menu down. I hate seafood.

The night goes by quickly, even though I almost slap one guy for being rude. His date, a skinny, red-headed woman, giggles constantly and orders me around like I'm some sort of personal maid. I take my good old time when I serve them their dessert. Finally, the day is over. I can go home and relax. I don't even want to think about doing my homework. It's not important anyway. Teachers are such liars, I think with a scoff.

I change back into my jeans and shirt and head out to my car. The rain has begun again and I curse at the stupid sky. I get to my car and put the key in the ignition. It won't start. You have got to be kidding me. This is such a classic thing to happen. And when it's raining. Perfect. The universe has a great sense of humor. I growl angrily and get out of the car. I run along the road. The busy sidewalk eventually turns into a dirt path, winding along the paved road. The rain increases, soaking me from head to toe. No cars pass and I keep going, knowing I'll get home eventually.

I see the street I have to turn onto and I glance out into the road. No cars. I take a step. Still no cars. I start to run. But- oh shit. A car. The headlights glare down at me. It's not a car, it's a freaking truck. I'm too slow. Time moves sluggishly. Too bad I didn't do track like my mom wanted me too, I think grimly. Then I'm hit. A horn beeps angrily at me, but the truck doesn't stop. It fades into the night.

Fuzzy. Warm. Panting? What is that? The truck didn't hit me after all. Something is pinning me to the ground. Something that is alive, very, very alive. I open my eyes. The thing on top of me gets up. I gasp. Holy crap it's not a thing. It's a gigantic monstrous thing. I stare into the brown eyes that look down at me. I gulp, waiting for the animal to claw my face off. The animal just looks at me with almost human eyes. The eyes widen and suddenly soften. The wolf growls and I flinch. I summon my courage and decide to go with the 'when-in-doubt-start-rambling' tactic that I know so well.

"You… you are _not_ a truck," I manage to say it critically. Yet my trembling gives me away. The animal bears its teeth again. Oh god, I'm going to die. Sharp, quite sharp, fangs are revealed. The creature isn't doing a very good job of eating my face off. So I say, "Well, it's been lovely chatting with you, but it's a school night. So, have fun with your fangs and all, but I should be going." I make an attempt to get up. The creature stands up as well. The eyes look at me gently.

It's a wolf? More like a horse for god's sake! The wolf, shaggy and kind of silver-gray-ish, looks behind it and then turns back to me. I hear heavy breathing and quick steps come toward us. The wolf looks at me with almost mournful eyes. For some reason a sense of security washes over me. No, no! It is a dangerous animal. I need to get away. The wolf looks away, looks at me, and races away. My mind tries to wrap around the idea that the giant wolf just saved my life, but I'm interrupted by the three handsome, shirtless guys that run up to me. They are tan and tall. Each has a tattoo and wears worn shorts without shoes.

"Are you okay miss?" Asks the first. He has black hair and appears to be leading the two other guys. I nod numbly.

"Who are you? Why are you out here so late at night?" Asks another.

"M-My car broke down, I'm sorry, I was just trying to walk home," I stammer at them. They look at me skeptically.

"Hey, its okay, what did you see just now?" Asks the third in a kindlier voice. I swallow and realize that I'm shaking.

"A w-wolf. It was huge! I-I…" my reply trails off and I blink back tears. I guess I was more scared than I thought.

The black haired guy steps toward me, but I start backing away. I don't know these guys. They look kind of dangerous. They stop, probably seeing the fear in my eyes. I turn and begin to run. Luckily I don't hear anyone or thing pursuing me, so I keep running. I'm panting heavily by the time I get home. Trevor tries to comfort my trembling but to no avail. I end up going to bed at eleven without bothering to explain to Trevor what happened. But I can't sleep. Noises outside continue to startle me. I rock back and forth on my bed, telling myself that it's nothing.

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_With the Cullens, Bella_

Alice had seen it, and I felt bad for her. Jasper was going crazy with confusion and everyone else was just as confused. We had all thought that Alice and Jasper were meant for each other. But as soon as Alice saw that girl, the human, she knew things were going to change. Carlisle and Esme were especially worried. I sigh.

"Edward. What does this mean?" Jasper, hands covering his face, mutters unhappily. Edward shakes his head.

"I'm not sure. Just tells us again what happened when you saw her," Edward replies.

"I-It was like everything just melted away, and then… for some reason, I was furious and I needed to kill that boy next to her," Jasper sounds like he's being tormented. I sigh again and remember that Alice, Jacob, and Reneesme went out, trying to get Alice to talk about what she saw.

Suddenly, Edward's head jerks up. His eyes narrow.

"Jasper, don't," he warns. Jasper shoots us an apologetic look and disappears. Only, he doesn't. My brain moves fast enough that I see him get up and run out the door. Edward and I look at each other, and race after him.

We run for a little while, making sure to stay a few yards behind Jasper. Finally, we get to a house. I'm surprised to find that it's really close to the woods of La Push. My senses sharpen when I smell them. The wolves. Jasper stops and Edward and I stop too. Standing below a side room window, I recognize Paul. He's the hotheaded wolf that runs in Sam's pack. Jasper growls. Paul whips around and snarls at us.

"What are you doing here, dog?" Jasper demands.

"I could ask you the same question, leeches," Paul hisses angrily. Edward, being the peacemaker, steps between them.

"Okay, please, just calm down. Paul, just tell us why you're here," Edward asks. Paul looks like he's about to turn when he straightens up and replies, "I'm checking up on a girl." He looks at Jasper. He rolls his eyes but complies by admitting, "I'm checking on her as well." Paul growls and crouches low again.

"Wait. Why are _you_ looking for her? Who is this girl?" Edward questions calmly. But we all tense, waiting for the oncoming fight.

"I don't, I-I just needed to see her," Paul mutters, his eyes hardening. Edward stares and suddenly steps back, pulling Jasper with him.

"What?" Jasper asks impatiently. He's already leaning toward the upper window. I can smell the girl. She smells like a meadow. It's not really something I can place, almost a flowery, fruity smell. But mostly, she smells human. I fight against the temptation to get drawn in by the smell of her blood. I tune back into the conversation.

"You've imprinted. Haven't you?" Edward states, holding Jasper back. Paul gives a slight nod. Jasper explodes. He tears out of Edwards grasp and charges at Paul. Paul leaps back and snarls angrily. A shudder tears through his body. Suddenly, a window bursts open. This makes both of them stop. Edward, halfway to Jasper, stops too. A girl leans out the window. She has long, dark hair, and I smell her scent. My mouth waters, but I hold myself back, knowing I'll just make things work if I give in to my bloodlust. Jasper and Paul gaze up at her as if she were an angel from heaven. I watch as a tear falls from her face and lands inches away from Jasper. His eyes turn darker and he swallows, trying to resist attacking her. Paul, still in his human form, opens his mouth as if to growl at Jasper, but stays silent.

The girl looks around, but seeing nothing, she closes the window. Edward and I take advantage of the moment and grab Jasper's arms. We pull him quickly away and leave Paul gazing longingly at the closed window.

**First chapter completed! Well, whaddya think? Please leave me critics and comments. Both are welcome and I will do my best to publish the next chapters!**

**Thanks so much for reading! 3**


	2. Even More Suspicious People

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Chapter 2! So, for those of you who've made it this far, I commend you, I know I write too much :S Anyway, thank you so much for reading!

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_Leah_

Damn Paul and his stupid imprint. We don't need another lovesick puppy around here. Ugh. First Sam, then Jared, then Jacob, and now Paul. Those idiots. I walk around my room, furious at life. Seth is still with the leeches and now I'm going to have Paul's thoughts of having sex with his imprint invade my mind. I don't need anymore nasty thoughts in my head.

So far the girls that the other pack members have imprinted on have been stupid and I have no interest in getting close to them. Somewhere, deep inside my heart, a small flame of hope that this girl could actually be my friend burns. But I quickly squash that hope. She's probably some ditzy girl that has a hot body. Paul has always been kind of a playboy.

I glance at the clock. One in the morning. A tap on my window interrupts my thoughts. I go over and open it. Collin smiles up at me.

"Why are you so happy?" I growl. Collin drops his smile and runs his hand through his short, cropped hair.

"Nice to see you too Leah. Sam wants everyone. It's urgent," Collin replies with a tired grin.

"What is it? Oh, hell no, is it about Paul imprinting?" I demand grumpily. Collin nods.

"Okay, gimme a sec," I walk back into my room and begin stripping. It doesn't even matter anymore. Once naked, I climb out the window and phase. Collin is a little embarrassed, but I know that he's already seen all of me. Heck, everyone in the pack has seen all of me. It's just a wonderful little gift that the fucking universe decided to give the Quileutes.

We run deep into the woods and meet with the rest of the pack. Our minds connecting, I see each and every one of their thoughts. Some I'd rather not see at all. But Sam quickly draws us to attention.

_Listen everyone! Paul has imprinted. _

_Yea, no duh. _I chime in.

_Leah! Shut up! _Jared growls.

_Jared, go to hell! _I snap back.

_Both of you be quiet! _Sam quiets us with an echoing snarl.

_Yes Sam._ We both respond.

Okay. So, there's a complication with the leeches. I'm not sure if leeches imprint, but somehow Jasper made a connection with the same girl. Sam grimly informs us.

_That's ridiculous. How is that even possible?_ Embry asks, whimpering at the thought of a new war between the wolves and the vampires.

_I'm not sure. But it's bad; I don't know how we're going to resolve this one._ Sam shakes his head solemnly.

A new mind joins us.

_Paul! Where have you been?_ Sam says harshly. But as soon as Paul thinks it, we all know.

_You went to her house? And the leeches were there too?_ Sam growls in anger.

_I had too. You of all people should know that._ Replies Paul, testing Sam's patience as far as he can. I wince at the mention of Sam and his imprint, my cousin Emily.

_Yea the stupid leeches were there._ _That blonde one was acting weird._ Paul races toward us, talking to us through our minds.

_We know. We think he's 'imprinted' in his own way on her. _Quil tells him. We hear Paul give a howl of anger.

_That leech won't lay a finger on her. I'll rip him to shreds. I won't let him touch her!_ Paul snarls as he gets closer to us.

_Of course you won't. You big, brave puppy-dog._ I sneer sarcastically at him.

_Quit it Leah. With Jacob and Seth at the leeches-erm, I mean Cullens, we need everyone to cooperate._ Says Sam. I nod and stay quiet.

_Um, Sam?_ Collin asks hesitantly.

_Yes, what?_ Responds Sam. He sounds tired.

They go to school together. I heard about a transfer student. I had no idea it was her though.

_What? Who?_ Asks Sam, his head snapping to attention.

_The leech and… and Paul's imprint_. Replies Collin, cowering under Paul's ominous thoughts.

Paul's furious howl rips through the dark night.

Valerie

So tired. Sleep is all I can think about as I drive Trevor and I to school. I only got an hour of sleep last night. The noises and the memories of the giant wolf haunted me through the darkness. So, I basically feel like crap. And its Tuesday. Oh joy, another day of the week. Trevor is talkative as ever and I drown him out. We get to school and go to our separate classes. I can feel the bags under my eyes grow larger by the hour. Chemistry, English, Trigonometry, so boring! I'm so tired. By the time lunch comes I've almost fallen asleep in all of my classes.

I get a plate of spaghetti and buy a coke, hoping to get my sugar-level up. I quickly give up eating. Being sleepy makes me feel kind of nauseous. Instead, I nurse my aching head and set it down on the cool, cafeteria table. I ignore the four other people at the end of the table. So far the only people who've I've actually talked to have been a couple of girls and some guys. I sigh against the table. I miss D.C. But it's okay. It's better here in Forks. I shouldn't be focusing on friends anyway. I need to support Trevor.

"You're doing a wonderful job of inspecting that tabletop," a smooth, silky voice cuts into my thoughts.

"Thank you. I do my best to make sure I inspect each of the tables. This one, as you can see, has needed even closer inspection-"

"Thus the head-on-the-table, right?" The voice laughs. It sounds like the sweetest music I've ever heard, but I'm too nervous to lift my head from the table.

"May I join you?" The voice inquires. Persistent.

"Um, sure," I reply shyly. I slowly lift my head from the table. Unfortunately, this isn't some romantic head lift and meet for the first time kind of thing, my forehead and cheek sticks to the plastic table and I have to pull my head up quickly. I gingerly pat my sore forehead and feel my cheeks growing red. I hear a chuckle from beside me.

My hair has fallen in front of my eyes and I peek through them. Sitting beside me is the blonde guy from yesterday. His eyes are an amber and golden shade and his blonde hair reflects the pale, almost nonexistent light coming through the cafeteria windows. He smiles a stunning smile and laughs again. I smile sheepishly.

"Hi."

"Hello. It's nice to finally see your face," the guy smiles another dazzling smile.

"Sorry about that," I cover my yawn with my hands. The guy looks at me worriedly.

"Are you ok?" he places his hand on my cheek. It's surprisingly cold, and I'm about to tell him that he's being a little forward, but the coolness of his hand feels great against my feverish skin. Missing my sleep really screws up my day. The guy's eyes widen and he removes his hand.

"You didn't even flinch," he remarks softly.

"I… I guess I didn't," I admit with a yawn. My eyes seem to want to close on their own.

"You look tired. You should go home," says the guy kindly.

"Skip on the second day of school? Tsk, tsk," I laugh, but it's a slurred, almost drunken sounding reply.

"Come on, you'll have plenty more days of school to make up for today," insists the guy. He takes my arm and leads me to the parking lot. I drag my bag along with me, hardly knowing what's happening. I get obediently into the passenger's side of the front, while the guy gets in front. I feel the car move beneath me, but I just close my eyes and let my exhaustion take over.

A bump and a muffled noise. I blink. I'm in my room. But I'm not standing or sitting. I look down and see strong, pale arms holding me. I look up. Amber and gold eyes meet mine. A small smile forms on the guy's face.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" I shake my head. The guy sets me gently on my bed and takes a step back. His eyes have grown a shade or two darker. Weird. But I'm too tired to think about it.

"Trevor," my voice is hoarse from sleep.

"Who?" The guy leans in. He is intoxicating. I blink again.

"My brother… I need… I need to get him from school," I struggle to get up.

"No!" The pale, cold guy pushes me back onto the bed. The breath is knocked from my chest and my bed creaks in protest. A mortified look comes over the guy.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He pulls me into a hug. "It's okay," I say, my voice is muted by his shirt. He pulls away.

"I'll never hurt you. I'm sorry," he apologizes again. I nod and lay back on my bed. "I'll make sure your brother gets home from school," adds the guy with a smile. He gives me one last gorgeous smile and starts to leave.

"Wait," my voice is hoarse, but somehow he manages to hear me.

"Yes?"

"Who are you?" I hear a quiet laugh and the guy shifts by the door.

"Jasper, Jasper Cullen." I murmur something unintelligible even to me and drift off to sleep. The last thing I hear is Jasper's silky voice.

"Goodbye my dear Valerie."

Jasper

She smelled amazing. Enthralling. Her scent pulled me closer. Finally, I couldn't resist. I had to go talk to her during lunch. But, when I got into the cafeteria, the conversation hadn't gone exactly as I'd planned. I'd worked really hard to calm down and not get pulled in by her scent. It was like she was a clear pond of water on my desert island. The moment I saw her I felt something lift from within me. I felt awful about Alice. I'd loved her, as much as a vampire can love. But this girl, Valerie, I knew I needed her. What I felt for her was more than love. It was as if I'd die without her.

I kept myself in check all during the drive to her house. I tried not to think about how delicious she smelled. But when I lifted her from her seat and felt how delicate and beautiful she was, I nearly lost it. Edward had said that it wasn't a good idea to be close to her while I was so unstable. I couldn't do it. I needed to feel her in my arms. Her house was small, and it looked as if she was living there with her and her brother. I wonder where her parents are.

I ponder this as I run home. The sun has tried in vain to break through the clouds, but luckily it wasn't strong enough to reveal my skin. It would have scared her, if she saw my skin sparkle in the sunlight. I don't know what would've happened. How can I explain this to her? And then there's the wolf. Just thinking about him makes my anger rise up. That mongrel can't have her. I growl at the thought of him embracing her. I won't let him. She's mine.

Valerie

The sun had finally come out. Thank you! The week has gone by uneventfully. I saw the Cullens a couple of times, but it was like they disappeared as soon as the clouds left. It's Friday, and after some begging, I agree to go into town with Trevor. He was a little suspicious of my skipping school on Tuesday, but after I explained what happened, he just rolled his eyes at me. He had ended up getting a ride home from a friend.

School ends and Trevor and I get in our truck. We're going to meet some friends of Trevor's at a small café in the center of town. It's only four o'clock by the time we drop our bags off at home and drive into town, so we wander and explore the various shops and stores. I go into a bead store while Trevor crosses the street and looks at a tourist-y store. I watch as he chats with the girl at the counter. She giggles and flips her hair. I roll my eyes.

I walk through the stands of beads and jewelry. A lot of it is Native American stuff. My fingers graze against a leather bracelet. It's pretty. Metal beads twist around a leaf-like pattern. I try it on. It really is very nice. But I shouldn't waste money on things like a bracelet. I sigh sadly and put it back in its place.

"That bracelet looked nice," a low voice says. I whip around. A tall, bronze-skinned guy leans against the wall opposite of me. He's wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers that have seen better days. His hair is cropped short and I can't help but notice his muscles. He grins at me and I look away shyly.

"Why aren't you going to buy it?" He straightens up and strolls over to stand beside me. I gulp. There's something about him that just makes me want to close the space between us. But I can't. I don't even know who he is.

"I- I shouldn't waste money on something that I don't really need," I stammer, peeking at him through my hair. He smirks and examines the bracelet.

"Here, then I'll buy it for you," he grabs my wrist and slips the leather bracelet on. His hands are warm, really warm.

"Oh, no! I can't let you do that! It's fine, really," I am about to pull the bracelet off, when he snatches my hand away. His skin against mine feels like its on fire. I take a step back, not because I'm startled, but because I don't want him to have to pay for the bracelet.

My foot catches on one of the metal poles of a postcard rack. I feel myself falling backward. I see the metal of the card rack glint in the light and I feel a sting against my arm. But before I can hit the ground, fiery hands grab my arm. It all happens so fast that before I know it, I've landed on top of the guy and there are postcards scattered all around the floor. The store clerk grumbles angrily but turns back to another customer.

"I'm s-s-s-o sorry!" I stutter embarrassedly. I look up and see the guy wincing. Our bodies are on top of each other. I feel his breathing and feel the warmth of his skin. He sits up and I fall once again on the floor. I land hard on my thigh. Ouch. I glance at the guy. He's sitting in the middle of the floor laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" I demand, rubbing my sore thigh.

"You just looked so funny," the guy chokes in between his laughter. I glare at him. Jerk.

"Fine, well it was nice meeting you. I'm going now," I gather my pride and stand. A burning hand pulls me back down.

"Hey!" I fight to pull away from him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed," they guy stares earnestly at me. I'm kneeling next to him and we're just inches apart. My heart beats faster.

"It's okay, but I really do need to go." The guy reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair back behind my ear, for some reason I'm not creeped out by this total stranger doing that to me. He gazes at me with a kindness that I've never seen before.

"Let me at least buy the bracelet for you," he chuckles.

"No, you shouldn't" I protest. The guy rolls his eyes and starts gathering the postcards from the floor.

"It was on my to-do list anyway. 'Buy a pretty girl a bracelet'. I can show you the list if you want," he jokes mildly.

"Yea right," I stare at him skeptically. He smirks at me and flips a postcard back on the rack.

"Fine, then you have to make it up to me," he says stubbornly.

"No, I do not," I reply just as stubborn. Something flares in the guy's eyes but he quickly shakes his head and is back to normal.

"Okay, if you won't pay me back, then how about I just invite you to a bonfire," he grins down at me. I pause, postcards still in my hands.

"A bonfire?" I ask incredulously.

"Yep. It's on the La Push reservation. I want you to come," he looks at me pleadingly.

"I don't even know who you are," I reply hesitantly.

"Well, then, I'm Paul," he smiles and extends his hand toward me. I take it and we shake hands.

"I'm Valerie," I say.

"So now we know each other. Come to the bonfire," Paul insists. His hand still holds mine. I blush and realize that I really like holding his fiery hand.

"Val! Val! Where are yo-uuu?" Trevor bounds into the room. He stops when he sees me holding Paul's hand. I quickly pull away and put the last postcard back in its section.

"Um, Valerie, I just called Eliza and she said that we have to cancel tonight's plans. Mariah, Ben, and Wess are all sick! It's crazy," Trevor babbles on. Paul gets up and dusts off his pants.

"So, who's this?" Trevor eyes Paul warily. I snap back into focus.

"Trev, this is Paul. Paul, this is my brother Trevor," I quickly introduce them. They shake hands.

"So, your plans are cancelled? Great! You can both come then," says Paul. Trevor looks confused. "There's a bonfire tonight on the La Push reservation. It's at eight o'clock and you're both invited," clarifies Paul. Trevor nods and looks at me expectantly. I knew from the second Paul mentioned it; Trevor would want to go. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Okay, we'll go," I give in. Paul grins and Trevor beams in excitement.

"I'll pick you two up at seven thirty," says Paul.

"Come on Trev, let's go," I grab his arm and start pulling him out the door.

"Bye!" Trevor waves to Paul, but he's already gone. Strange guy I think and shake my head.

Paul

Idiot! I'm a freaking idiot! First, I let her fall. She didn't seem to notice the scratch on her arm, but I should've protected her. Then, I dump her on the floor again. I've already hurt her twice. How much of an asshole can I be? I fume angrily at myself while I run back to La Push. It should've been different, but I was so caught up in her beauty that I couldn't think straight.

I'm supposed to take care of her. I shouldn't have let her fall. Ugh. Life sucks. I continue running until I get to Sam and Emily's. Emily has made a big batch of cookies and I race through the door. Grabbing four, I start eating.

"Geez, Paul, those cookies aren't going to run away on you. Slow down," laughs Embry.

"Shut it Embry," I growl and throw one of the cookies at his head. He easily swats it away.

"Guys! No food fights," Emily reprimands us. We look guiltily at her and I resume munching on the delicious chocolate chip cookies.

"So, what happened. Why are you so moody? Miss your daily facial scrub?" Jokes Jacob.

"Oh, I see you're back from the leech den. No wonder you smell so nasty," I reply with a grin.

"Oh my god just shut up!" Leah comes through the door.

"Nice to see you too sunshine," I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Paul, did you see _her_ again?" Asks Sam.

"Yes. I couldn't help it." I say, not in the least bit guilty.

"I told you to not do anything. Not until we get this whole leech thing figured out," replies Sam sternly.

"There's nothing to figure out! I'm not going to let him touch her," I say, feeling my anger begin again.

"It's not that simple," adds Seth. Little Seth, he's grown so much. I feel a twinge of regret for what he's had to go through. But I quickly focus back on the topic at hand.

"Damn. It's like Jacob and Bella all over again!" Exclaims Jared, throwing his hands in the air. Jacob throws him a halfhearted glare.

"It won't have the same outcome," I growl through gritted teeth. "Not if I have anything to do about it."

"And what if she doesn't love you?" Jacob challenges. I see a slight look of pain at the memories. He's one to talk. He now has that freaky vampire-human thing to love.

"She has to."

"Or what?" Jacob pushes.

"Or I don't know if I can survive," I say grimly.

* * *

**End of chapter 2! How did you like it? what should happen next? I'm planning on a few more encounters with Jasper and Paul, and then a surprise! *oooh surprises!* o.0 **

**thank you for reading!**


	3. Just Believe

CHAPTER 3 Valerie

The daylight has almost faded to darkness. The coming rain doesn't help the darkness of the sky. I shiver as I stand by the window. I wonder when I'll see Jasper again. Wait, I shouldn't be interested in seeing him. I met him once and that was extremely embarrassing. I turn away from the window and go into the small kitchen. The doorbell rings.

"Trevor! Get down here, its time to go," I yell up to him.

"Coming!" I hear footsteps racing around the upstairs. I go to the door and open it. Paul is there, leaning lightly against the doorframe.

"Hey," he grins.

"Hi," I reply, keeping my head down. "You can come in, if you want. Trevor is just finishing some work." I glare up at the staircase. "Trevor Semaikov get your butt down here now!" I shout impatiently. Paul raises an eyebrow.

"Semaikov? Russian?"

"Yea. My great-great grandfather immigrated from Russia. His family then intermixed and matched with Americans," I explain with a laugh. Paul nods.

"Sorry, sorry!" Trevor comes bounding down the stairs. He comes to a halt beside us and I go to the door. We exit and we're led to a shiny, green truck. I let Trevor sit up front. He seems to have idolized Paul already, even though Paul can't be that much older than me. There's something about him that makes him seem old, yet young. I can't really figure it out. I sit quietly in the back, catching snippets of their conversation.

We drive for a little while until I see the houses start to change. We pass a dirt road and go further into the community. Eventually, I see the beach. It's hard to see the water in the dark, but I instantly recognize the sand and I pick up on the slightly salty wind. I see a light flickering in the distance. Paul parks the car along the side of the road and gets out. The wind whips at his black t-shirt and he kicks off his shoes. Trevor and I do the same, knowing we won't need them on the sand. We walk a little farther. Finally, we reach the blazing fire. People sit and chat by the fire. They stop when we approach.

"Hey guys, this is Valerie and Trevor Semaikov," Paul introduces us. I smile a small, timid smile and Trevor grins at everyone.

"This is Sam, Emily, Quil, Collin, Seth, Jacob, Leah, Jared, Kim, and Embry," Paul continues, pointing at each person. I murmur a faint hello and Trevor takes a seat by the closest person, the girl named Leah. Everyone looks at me curiously and I unconsciously shrink back toward Paul. He takes my hand and leads me to a spot beside the guy name Jacob. The small chatter starts back up. I glance at Sam. He looks familiar. He turns toward me and I look away. Where have I seen him before?

"So, Jake, Seth, no leec- I mean Cullen duty tonight?" Asks the one named Quil.

"They're having their own problems right now. I'm going to see Reneesme tomorrow," replies Jacob with a sigh. I hesitate, knowing I'll regret asking, but I say, "Cullen? You mean like Jasper Cullen?" Paul stiffens beside me. Everyone looks at me again. I swallow nervously.

"Yea. Those Cullens. Why? Did you meet him?" Sam questions.

"Yes. Jasper. He helped me get home one day this past week," I reply, remembering the strange incident. Paul clenches his fists and I look at him.

"What happened?" His voice is low and he speaks as though he were in pain.

"Nothing, um he just drove me home," I say, starting to fidget with my hair. I look over at Trevor. He's busy chatting it up with the girl, Leah, and she seems to be trying to listen to him and me at the same time.

"I'll kill him," Paul snarls under his breath. But everyone hears him. Sam stands up and yanks me by the arm into Emily. Surprised, she barely has time to catch me, before I land on the ground. I look closer at her face and realize that there are long, pink scars running all down her face. I hold back my gasp of shock and straighten up on the log beside her. I hadn't seen the scars before. I breathe deeply and try to keep calm.

Unfortunately, pulling me away only seemed to have made Paul madder. He starts shaking. He's snarling and growling. An enormous tremor seems to tear through his body. "Paul! Go!" Sam commands in a loud voice. Paul looks at me, and starts racing toward the forest. His figure disappears in the darkness and leaves us all in silence.

"Well, who wants a marshmallow?" Seth holds up a bag and we all laugh awkwardly. I look at Trevor and he shrugs. I settle down next to Emily and Sam and listen to the conversations of the group. We end up talking about old legends. It seems that many people on the La Push reservation are part of the Quileute tribe. I listen intently while Jared launches into heroic tales of shamans and tribes who fought against the evil of the cold-ones, or vampires. Jacob quickly intervenes and they start bickering over which tale is correct. The group laughs at their light joking. I feel happy and warm by the fire, but something is missing. I keep looking back at the woods, wondering when Paul will come back. _If_ Paul comes back. My heart seems to shrink little by little; until I feel like I'm suffocating.

A twig snaps. Everyone looks up, startled. Paul strides over to the fire. He raises an eyebrow at Jared and Jacob, who've dropped the marshmallows that they were about to throw at one another. He looks at Sam. Sam nods and Paul turns to me.

"I need to talk to you." He says abruptly. His face looks bored, but something in his eyes says that he's serious. He turns and walks toward the ocean. I glance around and then get up to follow him. I end up following him so far that I can hardly see the flicker of the bonfire. The night envelops us. Irritation eats at my patience. But we keep walking. My irritation turns to anger. I stop and glare at Paul's back.

"Okay. That's enough," I say loudly. He stops, turns around and looks at me.

"What?" He asks.

"I'm not going any farther until you explain to me what happened back there." I cross my arms across my chest. I see Paul roll his eyes. "There! There it is. That douche-bag part of you that seems to come out randomly! Half the time I think you're the nicest guy on earth and the other half I think of how I'd rather jump off a cliff than talk to you!" I shout, finally giving in to my anger. Why did he bring me here if he was just going to have a temper tantrum? I see his eyes glare at me in the moonlight. Ugh. Why am I drawn to him even when I'm mad?

"Just a little farther," he replies, lazily kicking at a stone in the sand.

"No," I respond, fuming. He rolls his eyes again and starts walking toward me. "No," I say again and plop myself down in the cool sand. Its childish, but I don't care. He pauses and smirks.

"Don't make me do this," he comes closer. I stare him down. "Don't you dare," I growl. He chuckles and stoops down to my level. I glare at him and he just smirks back at me. Suddenly, I find myself weightless. I pound at his hands as he lifts me high off the ground and over his shoulder.

"Paul! Let me down!" I slap at his back, but to no avail. He is strong and full of muscles. I weigh about a hundred and twenty-two pounds and have no muscle what so ever. "I told you not to make me. That's what you get for not listening," He replies with a snort. I growl in annoyance and flail against his hold. He walks on.

"So, they told you about those werewolf stories right?" He glances up at me. I moodily stare behind and say nothing. He's such an arrogant jerk. "The old 'cold-shoulder' tactic huh?" I stay silent. "Two can play at that game," he smirks and then I'm falling. Falling, but still in his arms. I watch as the moon does flips above my head. I end up on the sand, glad for its security. But Paul is now on top of me. He's kneeling and grinning, although there's something sad in his smile. My eyes stop swimming and I glare up at him, about to protest. He puts his finger to my lip, shushing me. Oh no, he did _not_ just tell me to 'shush'. I open my mouth, despite his hand over my lips, ready to rant his head off.

"It's true. All those stories are true. And I'm a werewolf." He whispers quietly and then kisses me.

Paul

She seems so delicate and fragile. I'm afraid that I might break her. I've had so many other girlfriends. But none have ever been like her. Normally, they just go along with whatever I say or do. None have ever refused me. But this is different. Our lips meet and my whole body tingles. I crave her touch. She smells amazing and the only thing I want is her. But, of course, she is different. I feel a slight sting across my cheek. I release her lips from mine and look down at her. I am met with furious eyes.

"What are you doing? I only met you a day ago! You can't do something like this!" She shouts angrily. She tries to wiggle free from my hold, but I pin her down. I almost feel guilty about it.

"I'm kissing you. That's what most people do when they're attracted to each other. Unless you're Aphenphosmphobic that is," I reply with a lopsided smirk. She rolls her eyes. I ignore the fluttery feeling that I get in my chest.

"Who says I'm attracted to you?" She responds. Ouch. Okay, she has a point. I have no idea if she has any interest in me. I hide my uncertainty by responding haughtily. "I know you are." She continues to glare.

"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I'm _so_ not interested, Mr. Wolf," she struggles to get up again. The refusal hurts and I fight to keep my temper in check.

"I already told you, all of that werewolf crap is true. It's just a little embellished in the stories," I remind her with a scoff of annoyance.

"And what if I were to tell you that I don't believe you?" She challenges.

"Then I would have to say that I know that you know that it's true," I retort, doing my best to sound bored. "I know you remember, that night by the woods." I whisper in her ear. Her dark hair tickles my face and I breathe in her wonderful scent. I feel my body lean closer to her. I can't help it. I sit up slightly and see that her face has blanched. Still, she manages to fix me with a serious look.

"That was… you? The silver wolf?" Her eyes are wide in curiosity. I nod. "It is true," she breathes out noisily. She looks at me sharply; I can see doubt clouding her eyes. "How? That shouldn't be possible. Does that mean that every fairytale is true?" Her questions come rapidly. I roll my eyes and sigh, hating myself for doing this. I lean in and cup her face with my hand. I feel her try to pull away. I'm sorry Valerie. I can't help it. I bring her face up and I graze her lips with mine.

This time she tenses up, but she doesn't resist as much. Her lips are soft. I grumble internally that her mouth is closed in a tight line. I feel another tiny slap that she throws at my chest. I break away and hold her hand down.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. Its all part of 'Douche-bag 101'," I grin. She rolls her eyes but says, "Fine. Maybe you're right. All of this could be true." I nod; relieved that she admits it's the truth. "But, no more kissing. You've got some explaining to do Paul!" She crosses her arms and dares me to refuse. "Okay, I'm game," I smirk in response. I get off of her, wistfully missing her touch, and pull her up beside me. And thus the interrogation begins.

Valerie

Paul and I had spent the rest of the night talking. When we got back to the bonfire we found it deserted except for Leah and Trevor. Paul drove us home, ignoring the questioning looks from Trevor. I was relieved when I finally got into bed. Sadly, my head never stopped swimming with the information that Paul had told me. I shouldn't believe him. I ended up pacing my room, thinking about the stories. Vampires. Cold, bloodsucking vampires are real. How could they exist? And… wolves? Werewolves? Well, Paul had said that they were actually shape shifters. That's still not possible. How do humans not know about this stuff? Am I dreaming?

The early Saturday morning is filled with light snores coming from upstairs. I smile fondly as I walk by Trevor's room and find him mumbling in his sleep. I eat some toast and clean up the first floor. Trevor comes down in his pajama bottoms and t-shirt.

"Morning," I finish wiping down the kitchen counter.

"Morning," he mumbles tiredly. He pulls out a bowl and starts pouring in Lucky Charms. I pour some milk into his bowl and he sits down at the small table in the kitchen.

"So," he munches loudly on his cereal. "If you and Paul hook up, its cool." I look at him incredulously. "What?" He laughs, "I think he's alright. I was talking to Leah about him and she said that he's okay. So, Val, you have my permission to date him." I roll my eyes. "Thanks, mom. But I doubt that we're going to get together. He's kind of a jerk." I lean against the counter.

"Yea, Leah mentioned that. But she also said that he'd never hurt you, so in my book, he's cool," he responds, finishing his cereal. I nod. "So, Mr. Cassanova, I saw you and Leah. It seems like you guys really connected," I nudge him on the shoulder. He blushes and looks down. "She's okay. I dunno, we did talk a lot," he looks at me sheepishly. I giggle at his embarrassed expression. "Oh Trev, that's good. Even if she is a little old for you," I ruffle his hair, the same dark brown as mine, and tell him that I'm going to go explore the town a little more.

I decide to leave Trevor the car. I walk along the road, in between the houses and the forest. I walk for twenty minutes. All of a sudden, I see a dirt road. Weeds weave through the pebbles. Curious, I glance down the road. _Hm. I wonder what's down there_. I step off the road and begin walking along the shaded path. I walk for a while. Then, I feel a drop of water on my face. I glance up, and it starts to pour. Heavy drops of water fall through the trees and soak me to the bone. _Déjà vu_. I think crossly. I think about running back to the road, but it'd still be a thirty-minute walk back home. I blink through the rain. A dim light flickers through the dense forest. Out of options, I run toward the light.

The wet dirt and gravel squish beneath my soggy flats. Stupidly I'd decided to wear skinny jeans with flats and a simple, white t-shirt. I now regret wearing the black and white polka dotted bra. I get closer to the light. I chuckle bleakly to myself. My breath comes in little puffs. It's colder than before. I slow down when I reach the house. It's white and has an almost modern-cabin feel. I hesitate slightly before going up to the door and knocking.

A tall, fair-haired man opens the door. He looks unsurprised to see me. His eyes take in my sopping situation and his mouth turns up in a small smile.

"Hello, why are you out here in this weather?"

"I took a wrong turn and got caught in the rain," I gasp as the drops become colder.

"Well, come in, please… I'll see if we can help you," he opens the door wider and gestures for me to enter.

Edward

The meeting with the wolves hadn't gone well. Paul and Jasper had almost ripped each other in half. I glance over at Jasper, worried about him. He's really not himself ever since he fell for that new girl. We run, Emmett, Jasper, and I, back to the house. A smell reaches me. I slow down just as I see Jasper streak away. I listen in on Jasper's thoughts. _Blood. Thirst._ Oh no. Emmett snarls in annoyance. We both race after him. We get to the house and rush through the door. We skid to a halt and watch in horror as Jasper hurdles in a frenzy toward the slender figure standing beside Carlisle.

Valerie

Seeing Jasper race at me, looking like he wants to kill me, set my heart pounding. I know I should run away, but I'm frozen. I can't move. Something draws me to him, yet my brain is screeching at me to run.

"Jasper! No!" A chiming voice screams. My eyes watch as a fast streak of color barrels into Jasper. And he's gone. My breath comes in short gasps. Two guys, the first one was the one I had seen in chemistry, had suddenly appeared in the room. Rain spills in through the open door. Everyone in the room is silent.

I take in the other people. The first man, who had opened the door, is looking at a petite woman beside him. The brunette from school, and a beautiful blonde girl stand side-by-side. The brunette is holding a child. Practically everyone looks shocked. Yet, all of these people are absolutely beautiful. Stunning. How is that possible? The first man takes quick steps and closes the door.

"Um, I'm guessing she's the one huh?" Asks the big, darker-haired guy. _Damn. Even the guys are beautiful._ I think, in a surprisingly calm voice. Of course, that voice is in my head. I don't even want to think about how I'll react when I actually speak to these people.

"Are-Are you Valerie?" The petite woman comes closer, taking my hand. Cold. She feels so cold. I manage a timid nod. She breaks into a smile. She is breathtaking. I feel so ugly compared to these people.

"Please, you must be freezing. I'll get you some clothes, and well, we'll explain everything to you," she guides me to a staircase.

The woman pulls me to a room. It's neat and the bed looks like its never been slept in. She rummages through a drawer and hands me a red t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She leads me to a bathroom and I change. The jeans are a little loose and I trip as I walk out. She kindly catches me, and gathers my wet clothes. She's surprisingly strong. I ignore the coldness of her touch.

Once downstairs, the brunette brings me a steaming mug of tea. I try to smile but it comes out as more of a grimace. She looks at me with suspicious amber-brown eyes.

"So, I know that was pretty startling. We're very sorry for that to have happened," the first man comes and stands beside me. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, and this is my family," he extends his hand to me. I shake it and resume blowing on the hot tea. "Cullen? I've heard of you," my voice is barely a whisper. Carlisle nods thoughtfully.

"Now, I hate to say this so abruptly, but I'm sure you'd like to know what we are." Carlisle adds. Something clicks in my brain. I nearly drop the mug.

"Vampires," I breathe, startled by my own answer.

"You know?" The smaller of the two guys speaks up. He pauses, and then frowns.

"Edward, what?" The brunette, having taken her child to bed, comes up to stand beside the guy called Edward.

"It's strange. Why can't I read her mind?" His brow puckers and he looks at me intently. What is he talking about? I thought they were vampires?

"Oh, don't tell me, you have magic powers? What, you can somehow, fly or whatever?" I set the tea down and cross my arms over my chest. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Edward opens his mouth, surprised by the acid in my voice.

"First I get knocked down by a mutant wolf. Then I find out that it's actually a human. Then I'm told that all those stupid myths about vampires and werewolves are true. Then some guy I've barely met tries to _kill_ me.Finally, you're here to tell me that you're not just normal, bloodsucking vampires. Oh no, of course not. You're vampires with freaky magical powers!" I finish with a shout. Everyone is taken aback. The small woman takes a step toward me. I back away.

"No. I can't take this. I-" I can't finish the sentence. I turn and run to the door. I feel a swoosh of wind and crash into the rock-hard body of the larger guy. I fall unceremoniously on the floor. I seem to be doing a lot of that too. "Emmett!" Whines the blonde girl. "Rosalie, I can't just let her leave. Right Carlisle?" The big guy responds. Carlisle looks hesitantly at me. "Please, just hear us out." He begs me. I don't want to be around these people. But, do I have a choice? If they are vampires, and I'm sorry to say that I think they are, then Paul said that they're incredibly fast. With a sigh I nod and follow the big guy named Emmett to the white sofa.

Jasper

I feel awful. My thirst just took control and I couldn't help myself. She, as Edward puts it, is like heroine to an addict. Her scent is intoxicating, but that's no excuse for trying to kill her. Normally, I would've been able to control myself, but I haven't gone hunting in two days. Just seeing her there surprised me and I lost all of my self-control. I'm despicable. She must hate me. I know I would if I were her.

"It's okay Jazz," Alice puts her hand on my shoulder. I bury my head in my hands. "No. It's not Alice. If you hadn't pushed me away I would have killed her. I would have hurt her, even when I've already hurt you. I don't deserve to live," I mutter bitterly. Alice gazes at me. "Don't think like that Jasper Hale. Being self-destructive won't help you or her. And, I told you, its okay. I loved and still love you, but no one can get in the way of a soul mate." Alice says softly. Too kind. She's being too kind. She should be yelling at me. How can I call myself a gentleman when I hurt everyone around me?

Alice takes my hand and we race off into the woods, searching for prey. She knows me well. Once I feed, maybe, just maybe I can go back and apologize to Valerie. If she's still there. Morose thoughts cloud my mind. Alice senses my feelings. I'm probably unconsciously sending her my negative emotions. Why do I keep hurting her?


	4. It's Complicated

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I will continue to do my best and be quicker at updating! But, I honestly need your guys' reviews in order to keep writing. I am so thankful to the people who have read this far! Please keep reading and don't give up on my yet! :)**

* * *

_Valerie_

It was too much. Way too much. I can't believe Carlisle. Cold, rock-hard skin and lightning fast reflexes. Finding out about shape shifting humans was one thing, but bloodthirsty vampires who sparkle in the sun is just too out there for me to believe. But, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Should I?

I stare silently at my folded hands. The room has gone eerily quiet. I guess I should expect that. Vampires that can stand still for over a hundred years without being bothered, it can't be possible. Maybe I'm dreaming. I look up. Everyone is still where they were a minute ago. Carlisle looks like he wants to say something, but Esme gently touches his arm. He looks at her and nods. Finally, I summon my courage and decide to speak.

"How can I believe this?" My voice is rough from fear. If they really are vampires, that means they will want to drink my blood, just like Jasper.

"Yes, please don't be frightened. As I said, we are like vegetarians. We won't hurt you," Esme's tawny eyes beg me to understand.

"I-I don't know. Paul said-"

"He's a damn mutt! Don't listen to that bastard," snorts Emmett loudly. The blonde girl, who was introduced to me as Rosalie, quickly punches Emmett's stomach. He doesn't even flinch.

"Werewolves and vampires are natural enemies, but we do our best to remain on friendly terms. And, like I said, we do not drink human blood," Carlisle says. I nod, trying to control my breathing.

"So, what now? Does she have to be turned too?" The brunette, Bella, whines at Carlisle.

"I don't know. I think she's fine for now," Carlisle replies with a tired sigh. Bella looks doubtfully at Edward.

"Turned? You mean like- turn into a vampire?" I ask startled. I see Esme give a sad nod.

"Um no. I can't be. I have to take care of Trevor. Who would pay the bills? He needs me; I can't just-" I stammer hurriedly. The door swings open. Jasper and the tiny girl walk in. Their clothes are stained with flecks of mud and blotches of some deep, red substance that I'd rather not contemplate, but other than that they are both as beautiful as the rest of their family. "Alice, are you okay?" Esme goes over and puts her arm around the pixie-like girl. "Yeah, I'm okay." She glances over at Jasper. "We're okay."

Jasper keeps his eyes down, not looking at me. "Well, we're going to leave you guys alone for a bit…" Edward lets his sentence trail off. He and Bella quietly slip away. Eventually, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and even Carlisle exit the room. Jasper and I are left in the room alone, awkwardly still. I fidget in my seat.

"Jasper I-" I begin to say.

"I'm so sorry," his silky voice makes my heart beat quicker. I hear him chuckle softly. A strange sense of uneasiness comes over me. "I hate that I make you feel that way," he whispers. I stare at him, his back is to me, and annoyance flares in my mind. "What way?" I ask indignantly. He turns. His face is gorgeous, but he looks sad. "I can hear your heart, and you shouldn't feel that way." His face contorts in misery but quickly resumes its normal, handsomely serene appearance.

"And here I thought that Paul was a jerk," I cross my arms and glare at him. I thought he was nice, but I guess I was mistaken. Suddenly, his face is an inch from mine. His eyes flare angrily.

"Don't say _his_ name." He snarls through gritted teeth. Fine. He wants to act like an obstinate douche bag, I won't put up with it. "I can say his name all I want!" I shout back, closing the distance between us. I put my face up close to him, glaring and hostile. He's stunned by my response and I take advantage of that.

I stand up, face still close to his, and walk to the door. I feel a light, freezing hand grab my arm. "Don't touch me!" I yell without turning around. The hand releases my arm. I stride to the door and fling it open. I race out into the pouring rain. I hear nothing behind me. I get about a yard from the awful white house full of crazy vampires; until I slam into a rock. Or at least it feels like a rock. I glance up from the ground.

Jasper is the 'rock' that I had run into. I am about to let him know what exactly is on my mind, and let me tell you, it's not pleasant, when he bends down. I feel the mud and rain seeping into my clothes. My hands dig into the frozen ground.

"I'm sorry," his expression looks sincere. Another wave of emotion comes over me, and this time it's calm. My worries disappear. He strokes my cheek with his hand and I jerk my head back in surprise. He was being a total asshole a second ago. What happened?

"I'll get better, I promise. I'm just so new at all of these emotions. Especially with a human," he admits. He drops his hand and looks at me sadly.

"Will you forgive me?" I'm numb and cold, but I manage to say, "There's nothing to forgive. I just need to go home to Trevor. Please." My voice trembles. The world starts to shake. No, it's not the world. It's me; I'm shaking. Jasper clutches my face in worry. More calm and security sweeps my body. The rain turns into stinging icicles.

"Come back inside, you can get warm. Just let me help you," he pleads.

I nod, shivering. I feel his arms circle around me. He lifts me as if I were a feather. I feel myself glide across the ground and into the house. But there's something wrong. I'm still shaking, and it's growing worse. I look at Jasper's set jaw. He's talking to someone. He looks worried. I want to tell him not to worry, and that I really do believe what Carlisle said, but I can't. My mouth doesn't want to cooperate with my brain.

I'm set on a flat surface. I feel a pinch somewhere along my arm. Drowsiness sets in. My mind is fogged by what I assume is morphine, but I can't process anything. The last thing I feel before the drug-induced sleep takes over is a pair of freezing lips, gently pressed against my forehead.

* * *

_Jacob_

Paul is totally overreacting. Not that I care. Still, I can't help but feel uneasy about this new girl. Paul hasn't heard from her since the bonfire. When Paul shifted into his wolf form later that night, we all new what had gone down. I wasn't impressed. Neither was anyone else. Paul had had so many girls; it was like a constant strip club going on in his head. But not anymore. He's so different.

"Damn! God damnit!" A plate sails through the air and lands with a crash on the floor. I snarl at Paul. "Stop throwing things! You're the guest here remember?" He huffs at me, but sets down his third plate. "I don't know why I haven't heard from her. I was sure she would've come to me by now! Fuck!" He throws the ceramic plate to the floor. I get up from the couch. "My dad is gonna kill you. Or maybe I will," I grab his hair and yank him to the ground.

"Clean it up," I demand.

"I'm not your bitch," he replies, picking himself up from plate-strewn floor.

"Well you sure are acting like it," I smirk. He throws a bowl at me. I catch it and safely put it on the kitchen table. I look over at the clock above the refrigerator. "Hey, I'm going over to see Reneesme. Tell Sam I'll meet up with you guys later," I stretch and head for the door.

I pause, "Oh, and get the hell out of my house." He rolls his eyes and joins me by the door. Giving him a brotherly shove, we exit.

* * *

_Valerie_

My body is sore. But at least I'm warm. I feel the softness of a blanket surrounding me. It feels as if I've been asleep for a thousand years. My eyes won't open. Or, maybe I just don't want to open them. The encounter with the Cullens comes rushing back to me. I squeeze my eyes closed even tighter.

"Valerie," a sweet, purring voice reaches my ears. A cool hand rests against my cheek. I don't want to open my eyes. I don't want to believe what Carlisle and Paul told me. But there's no point in pretending or ignoring the fact that these Cullens are different. Even the werewolves, I know that I didn't imagine getting saved by that silver wolf, well Paul who was in the form of the silver wolf.

The only thing that I didn't expect is that the vampires have some sort of heightened ability. Carlisle had said that an ability that you are good at during life would be increased when you're a vampire. But only certain vampires get really special 'gifts'. Edward had said that he could read minds. Bella had some sort of shield-like power, Alice could read into the future, and Jasper could control emotions. Unreal. All of this is unreal.

I'd rather stay in my pain-free, stress-free coma thank you very much. But, sadly I can't do that. I have to take care of Trevor. I brace myself and open my eyes.

Bright light makes me blink a couple of times before I abruptly sit up. Someone joins me beside the bed. I look up; my head sways slightly due to the sudden movement. Jasper's golden eyes meet mine. I gasp and quickly look away. He's real. So it's true. Everything that I was told is true. Why… how is it possible?

"Are you okay?" His voice is tinged with sadness and worry.

"I think so. My head feels like it just went through the rinse cycle of a washing machine. What happened?" Great, my voice sounds like my throat went through a cheese-grater. He chuckles. "You went into shock." He pauses, and then adds, "And the cold didn't help. You were practically blue." He looks at me mournfully. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Valerie. I didn't want to have to drag you into this. I thought that I could control myself and keep my distance… but I can't." He bends down, putting his hand on the wall above the bed. I breathe shallowly as he leans in closer.

The odd feeling of a wave washing over me makes my emotion turn into an unnatural calm feeling. It must be his special 'gift' thing. Jasper's face is so close to mine. My heart beats wildly in my chest. We are an inch apart. I lean closer, wanting to reach him. My body calls out for him. His eyes gaze into mine. I am lost in his golden eyes. He leans even closer, tilting my face up to his. My lips begin to yearn for the touch of his. The door bangs open. Jasper looks up, eyes narrowed and annoyed. Jacob stands, eyes wide, in the doorway.

"Damn…." He breathes. "Paul is gonna kill you," he shakes his head. Jasper emits a low, feral growl.

"I know."

* * *

_Alice_

It hurts. I haven't felt pain for over a hundred years, yet, now I finally feel it again. I still love Jasper. I thought that we were perfect for each other. Why wasn't I able to see this girl? Edward can't read her thoughts, and I can't see her future. But somehow Jasper's powers work on her. She's so different from other humans. But I can't seem to find it in me to hate her. I guess I just want Jasper to be happy. Soul mates can't be broken apart. When will I find mine?

"How did this happen." Jacob asks bluntly, lazily sitting on the couch beside a dozing Reneesme. "I don't know," I reply, shooting him an unhappy glare. "It's not my fault so quit asking me." He shakes his head. "This could start something bad y'know." "Of course I know that Jacob!" I snap. "Is Bella jealous?" Jacob's question makes me stop. "I'm not sure," I hesitate. "I think that if she was still human she might be jealous, but I think right now she's just angry that Jasper and I aren't soul mates." I finish with a depressed sigh.

"Are you guys gonna turn her? 'Cuz I think Sam won't be happy if you do… and Paul will definitely kick your asses if she turns into a bloodsuck- I mean vampire," Jacob points out. Damn he's annoying. "I don't know Jacob! Gosh! Quit asking already," I shout, I feel my composure caving in. I just want Jasper back. Is that too much to ask for? He rolls his eyes and looks fondly at Renessme. She's curled up beside him, sleeping peacefully.

"I walked in on them. They were about to kiss," Jacob continues talking, ignoring the glares of annoyance that I send him. "Listen, I just want them to be happy, okay? It was bound to happen." I say, hoping it'll make him be quiet. It does. He turns back to looking out the window.

Seth and Leah burst through the door. Leah looks uncomfortable as usual. Seth just looks eager to see everyone. Instantly my vision enters a blind spot. I can't see into the future any more. Stupid werewolves.

"Hey," he nods at me. His eyes reveal his pity for me.

"Jake, Paul is coming. He says that the vampires took Valerie. It's going to be bad." Leah interjects, getting right to the point.

"Hell. I'll go talk to him." Turning to me, Jacob says, "You'd better get out of the house, and take that girl with you." "I have a name you know," a small voice cuts in. She's there. Standing by the top of the stairs. I hadn't noticed her. "I should leave anyway," she adds. She looks fragile. I could probably snap her neck in less than a second. But I couldn't do that to Jasper.

She steps lightly down the stairs. She looks tired and worn out. "We can't let you leave Valerie," I hear my chiming voice call out to her. She pauses, halfway between Leah and Seth. "I don't want to cause trouble," she looks calm, almost as if she expected me to stop her. Jasper comes down the stairs swiftly. "Please don't go," his voice, stained with traces of a southern accent, sounds desperate. My chest clenches in sadness.

"I need to go to Trevor," she says calmly, backing out of Jasper's reach. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Leah twitch. Strange. Does she know Valerie's brother? Everyone stays in his or her place while Valerie quietly slips through the door. Jasper looks like he wants to go after her. I gently take his hands. "She'll be back," I say. He looks at me sadly. "Will she?" I let my mind relax. Foggy images push their way into my head. I see a small blind patch in Jasper's future. That's Valerie. "Yes." I reply. Jasper looks relieved.

I hear pounding strides, coming from about a mile away. We all tense. Jacob shakes his head, gets up easily from the couch, and heads out the door. A howl splits through the early day. Another snarl reaches my ears. Panting and with the sudden smell of foul wet dog, Paul has arrived. He crashes into the room in his wolf form. Snarling and panting, he heads for Jasper. Jasper crouches and growls. Before anyone can stop them, they collide in a frenzy of claws and fangs.

"Valerie!" A call, from at least a yard away, makes them stop. "Valerie where are you?" We all look at each other. Leah's eyes light up in a way that I've never seen before. Jasper and Paul are centimeters from each other, both ready to attack again. Labored breathing and footsteps. Trevor, Valerie's brother, enters the room.

* * *

_Valerie_

Instead of going home I gradually make my way toward the sea. I need to think before I go back to Trevor. How can I explain this to him? I'm relieved that no one has followed me. I reach a cliff. The salty air blows my hair in every direction. The sun feels nice against my skin. I see the glistening water and wish I could reach the warm strip of beach below the cliff. Maybe I can.

I walk to the edge and sit. Slowly, I slide down onto a ledge. I can see a safe way down. I put my foot on a rock. I easily make it to the second outcrop of rocks. There are only another two stories to go. I gulp and extend my foot onto a flat, sturdy looking piece of slate. Well, it turns out to be not so sturdy. My feet slip from under me. I tumble down, scrapping my hands and legs on sharp bits of rock.

Surprisingly enough, I don't scream. I cover my head with my hands as I crash down the cliff. Something hard hits me in my side. I gasp in pain but keep falling.

I land with a thud on the sun-baked sand. Not dead. I breathe in the air. I can still feel the sun. So, I'm either in heaven or I'm alive. A shadow blocks the sun. I frown and blink open my eyes.

A beautiful woman stands over me. Hm, I don't recall ever having had dreams about women, maybe my conscious is trying to tell me something. Or, maybe I really am alive.

She smiles down at me. Her ankle length dress flows and billows in the wind. Her crisp, wavy blonde air is piled lightly atop her head. Her skin sparkles in the sunlight. Her red eyes are the only imperfection. I shudder. She smiles a blinding smile, revealing white teeth. Stray strands of hair flutter lazily around her pale, shimmering shoulders. She leans toward me with a chiming laugh.

"Hello, you must be Valerie. I've been looking for you."

* * *

**End of Chapter 4! Well, did you like it? Who is this mysterious new woman? What does she want with Valerie?**

**Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Deceiving Beauty

**Chapter 5! I'm uploading as fast as I can! Sorry about the whole error thing! Anyway, I'm back for now! I hope! So, please read and review and enjoy!**

* * *

_Paul_

Bloodsucker. I will tear him to pieces. If he hurt her, I swear I'll rip his head off. Worst of all, he just let her leave. Without even making sure where she was going. I fume angrily. But, now is not the time to think about that. Right now I have to deal with standing face to face with Jasper, in my wolf form, while Trevor stares uncomprehendingly at the scene. Leah moves toward him, putting her hand on his arm.

"Don't be afraid. Please just let me explain," she says in an unnatural kindness. I shoot her a look of exasperation. Trevor looks wide-eyed at all of us. I see him swallow in fear. He turns to Leah.

"What is that? Why are you here? Who are these people? Where's Valerie?" He stammers. Leah smiles sympathetically at him. "Hold on. We'll explain." She turns to me, "Paul, hurry up and change back, you're scaring the hell out of him!" I roll my eyes, but back away from Jasper. His scent is making my nose burn anyway. I trot outside. I can smell Valerie. Her scent lingers in the air, mixed with the bittersweet scent of the bloodsucking leeches. I change. It still feels weird, even though I've already changed a million times.

I pull on the pair of pants strapped to my back leg. As unfortunate as it is for me to have to go back into the bloodsucker's house, I can't let that blonde leech get away with hurting Valerie. I step casually through the door. Trevor's mouth is practically on the floor. He swallows nervously and takes a step away from me.

"Was that you?" His voice goes up an octave.

"Sure was. But don't worry kid; I won't bite your face off. I'm leaving that for the vamps." I smirk. The leader, Carlisle, shoots me an unhappy grimace. Leah is also glaring at me.

"What he meant to say was that none of us are dangerous," Leah amends. Trevor shakes his head. "What did you do to Valerie?"

"Nothing!" I reply defensively. I point at the blonde bloodsucker. "He's the one you should be talking to," I let my hand fall to my side as I sneer angrily at Jasper. He hisses at me.

"You shouldn't be talking mongrel. You are a walking cataclysm," Jasper snarls. He crouches, ready to fight me. _Bring it on bastard. You aren't taking my Valerie_.

"Enough! Please, we have to explain this to Trevor," Edward shouts to the room. He and that stupid Bella must have come in when they heard Jasper and I fighting. "He is her brother after all," he adds. Jasper straightens up. He continues to throw vicious glares at me, but I ignore him.

"Where is Valerie?" Trevor repeats, eyes still shocked. I sigh.

"Listen kid, what we're about to tell you will scare the hell out of you," I say. Leah opens her mouth to object, but I wave her protest away. "But, if you want to support your sister and take care of her, you'll have to hear us out." I finish, giving Leah a meaningful stare. She moodily crosses her arms and stays silent. Slowly, Trevor nods.

The mother-leech, Esme, leads him to the way too white couch. He sits, waiting. We need to hurry so I can find Valerie. For some reason I don't believe that she just went home. I glance at Jasper. He's got his eyes trained on me.

_Damn._ I'll never be able to sneak out and look for her alone.I cough at Carlisle impatiently. He nods and begins the explanation, undoubtedly for the second time in less than 24 hours.

* * *

_Valerie_

The woman had blindfolded me. How dare she? Of course she's a vampire and all, but I don't care. Rude. What a bitch. I can feel the rumble of a car beneath me. My temper subsides and leaves me with a dull feeling of fear. Will I ever get to go home? I find myself longing for Paul. And Jasper. Both of them? How can I want both of them to be here right now? Oh well, its probably just my terror talking. I really miss the normalcy of D.C.

The car shudders to a stop. I hear doors open and close. A swish of wind, and cold arms lift me from what I assume is the back of the car.

Moving, moving, and stop. I'm thrown to the ground and my blindfold is removed. The gloomy blackness makes it hard to see at first, but then I notice the small group of people before me. I sit up.

"What have you done now Thalia?" Cries an exasperated voice. I see the blonde woman off to my right frown. "I'm doing what you never had the balls to do," she replies breezily. A couple laughs echo through the room.

"Who is she?" A female comes forward. She's a vampire too; what a surprise. "She's a new 'member' of the Cullens," the blonde woman, I'm assuming her name is Thalia, bends down to me.

"How does it feel to be Isabella's replacement?" She giggles wickedly.

"What are you talking about?" I question, leaning as far away from this unnaturally beautiful woman. She smiles, her full lips revealing her all too white teeth that are most likely deadly as hell.

"You are here to start a war," interjects a man from my left. He comes out from the shadows. He is tall and thin. His pale reddish hair is pulled back into a short ponytail. His eyes are the same red as the two women. Vampire.

"I'm no politician," I reply with a frown. He laughs. His laugh sounds like a babbling brook. "That you are not, but, think of yourself as a tool," he sobers up. Before I know it, he's kneeling before me, cupping my chin in his icy cold hand.

"You are nothing like Isabella. We have watched her for such a long time. It's a pity that she was turned so soon." He says with a sort of wistfulness. Isabella. Bella? Edward's Bella?

"You mean, Bella?" I whisper. The man nods. A third man steps from the shadows.

"Enough with this foolishness Nikolai. Just tell the girl what she has to do," exclaims the man. Nikolai snarls at him, but quickly calms down and turns back to me.

"Girl." I stare hatefully at him. "My name is Valerie." He nods. "Okay then, Valerie, we need you to deliver a message." He runs his hand through my hair. I shiver. "You must tell the Cullens to kill all of the werewolves." I stare at him in shock. Is he crazy? Why would he want me to do that?

"Why?" I ask.

"Because, once the werewolves are dead, we can use the Cullens without any interference. Once we have their powers we can create our arm-"

"Enough Nikolai! You say too much!" Hisses Thalia.

"She can know about our troubles with the Volturi. She's just a worthless human," replies Nikolai with a sneer.

Thalia's eyes grow darker. In the blink of an eye she snatches Nikolai from the ground and pins him against the wall behind us. "Know your place," Thalia says menacingly.

"Why do you need me?" I ask matter-of-factly. I watch as Thalia throws Nikolai casually to the floor. She turns back to me. In an instant she's holding me up by my shirt. I wince and start shaking. "Why you ask? Because it's so much more fun using you to bring their destruction. You're our little mouse, and we'll torment you until you help us bring them down." I cringe against her hold. I squeeze my eyes closed.

"If you refuse, we'll either kill you now, or you'll never have a moment of peace. I will constantly pursue you, and when I get you back, I'll torture you until you wish you were dead," she smiles manically. My heart and stomach feel as though they went on a roller coaster ride, without the rest of me.

"I can't tell them to do that," I say weakly. I gasp against Thalia's tight grip. "You will tell them. Then again, we could always just massacre the werewolves ourselves, but its such a waste of time," she says lazily. No, not Paul. They can't hurt Paul!

"Damn werewolves," smirks the second guy. The second woman nods vigorously.

"So, choose girl. Make it easier on all of us, and just tell them to kill the stupid wolves. Or, make us chase after you and them, which _won't _make me happy," says Thalia in a bored tone of voice. No, I can't betray everyone. I just found out about their existence and now I have to convince them to kill each other just so that I can live? How selfish can I get? I feel the pinprick of tears at the back of my eyes. Why would they do this?

I swallow and ignore the regret that makes me lightheaded.

"No. Kill me now, but you'll never get me to make them do that. Even if you let me go, I'll never tell them to do that. Plus, the Cullens can kill all of you instantly!" I shout in Thalia's face. The second woman growls, "Don't speak to her like that!" Thalia drops me like a stone. I land hard on the concrete floor.

"It's okay Odette," Thalia backs up. Raising her arms high she laughs, "All of us you say? Are you sure about that?" I strain to see behind her. One by one, different figures detach themselves from the murky darkness. 10, no 20 at least! Twenty-four vampires, including the first group, surround me.

"Why don't we just change her now?" whines a female. Thalia shakes her head.

"New borns are annoying," the rest of the vampires laugh. It sounds like music. Those deceiving bastards.

"Thalia, why not kill her already?" exclaims a man in the back of the room. Thalia drops her smile and glares at the man. "We will be better off if the Cullens destroy the wolves. If in fact the worst comes to worst, no one, not even the Volturi, will be able to charge us with the murder of those mangy dogs," she spits out the last word with a bitter snarl.

My throat is dry and I think about running away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says a low voice. A man comes closer. He taps the side of his head. My eyes widen in realization. "That's right," He laughs.

"Edward Cullen is not the only one who can read minds." Wait, but Edward said that he couldn't read my mind. The man's brow furrows in curiosity. He gazes vacantly, lost in thought.

"Okay, I'm bored. Take her back to Forks. I'm sure she'll tell the Cullens to do their duty. If she doesn't, we'll just kill them all anyway," smirks Thalia. The other vampires cheer.

"No, don't make me! Don't kill them! Please. Who are you anyway?" I can't hold back my fear. Tears escape from my eyes and leave streaks on my cheeks. The group looks at me as if I was a talking rabbit. Then again, there's such thing as werewolves and vampires so, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if I actually _found_ a talking rabbit.

"My dear," Thalia grips my face with unnecessary force.

"We are the Răzvrătit of the Volturi. To make it easier on your human brain, we are what you would call rebels. We are going to take control of the vampire world. Trust me, our time to reign has come." She waves her free hand toward me. Two burly vampire men lift me, ready to take me away.

"Oh," Thalia adds, "And as for telling the Cullens what to do, I'm afraid you do not have a choice."

* * *

**End of chapter 6! Yay! How did you like it? I don't really like Thalia... she's kinda mean, don't you think? Well, please keep reading new updates! Thanks so much for reading!**


	6. Sleep

**Chapter 6! Sorry it took so long! Please read and enjoy! Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Jasper_

Valerie. My sweetest Valerie. How could I have let her out of my sight? That werewolf should never have come here. If only Carlisle would let me rip him to shreds. How is it possible that both of us have imprinted on her? I thought I loved Alice. I did… do? Do I love Alice?

I follow Valerie's scent down to the cliff overlooking the beach. Paul, back in wolf form, follows close upon my heels. My nose stings with his foul scent. My eyes scan the ground. I see Valerie's footsteps and notice some displaced rocks. She must have climbed down the cliff. Suddenly, the wind shifts.

An amazing honey-fruit scent mixed with a bitter, licorice-like smell. I hear Paul growl uneasily. He's picked it up too. Valerie was with someone. As in someone, I mean a vampire. She'd better be okay. I leap lightly down the sheer cliff. I ignore the thirst that claws its way up my throat. Valerie had left tiny drops of blood on the jagged rocks. She must have slipped. Paul bounds after me, sending me a warning rumble. I'm tempted to throw him the rest of the way down the cliff, but I restrain myself. I look darkly at Paul. If he hurts Valerie like Sam hurt Emily, I promise that I will kill him.

We reach the bottom. The two scents are even more jumbled. Where is Valerie? Paul's nose digs into the sand. Disgusting. How could anyone live as a wolf?

I shudder and follow Valerie's scent. It goes west along the beach. I begin to run, skin sparkling brightly in the bright sun. Paul follows me. I wish he would just leave her alone. Why does he have to be in love with her? There must be a mistake. I want her, and I don't know what I can do to let her know that all I want is to be with her.

My heart aches. After fighting in the vampire wars I thought I was immune to pain. I guess I didn't figure on this kind of pain. I hear a low bark behind me. The mixed scents lead out onto the road. Valerie got in a car. But with whom? She wouldn't go with someone she doesn't know. I'm sure of that. Paul splits away from me. It's impossible for me to not glare at his moving silhouette.

I hope he gets picked up by animal control.

* * *

_Valerie_

After getting re-blindfolded and dropped off at some random location, I am about to give up. The sun shines brightly and I can see the glint of the ocean in the distance. It's stiflingly warm as I shuffle down the long expanse of asphalt. It's no use though. I'm certain that I've already walked two miles.

But I just can't see why Thalia needs me to tell them to kill the werewolves. Maybe everyone would be better off if I just disappeared. Never returned. What would Trevor do? My head pounds and my vision blurs in and out of focus.

So many vampires. They look so beautiful, yet so deadly. Man, I really miss D.C. My head is killing me and my stomach twists in anxiety. I see two blurred figures. When I blink, they're gone. This is it; I've finally lost it.

I'm hallucinating.

"Valerie!" That's my name. But who's calling me? "Valerie!" The voice that sounds like a thousand angels reaches out to me. I blink and there they are. Paul and Jasper. Both of them right in front of me. The two men that I might possibly be falling for.

"Valerie!" Paul, in human form, grabs my face and examines me. I hear Jasper snarl quietly. "What happened? Where were you? Are you okay? We should get you to Carlisle!" Paul's voice rises and he looks at me in distress. "I'm fine," I say in a wobbly voice. Jasper pushes Paul aside and wraps me in a hug. His cold skin feels amazing in the sun's blazing heat. I lean lightly against his chest. "We really should take you back to Carlisle or a hospital," he says, his golden eyes gaze worriedly into mine.

"No. Don't worry about me… I'm fine. I think." I mumble tiredly. "Don't even try to argue," Paul snorts. He shoulders past Jasper and before I know it I'm swept up in his arms. My head aches and I can feel my pulse in my ears. Not exactly the most romantic moment of my life.

Jasper opens his mouth to object, but shuts it when Paul emits a low growl, barely loud enough for me to hear. Paul starts to run. I'm barely aware of Jasper being close beside us. Paul's strong arms make me feel secure and warm.

I won't let Thalia get them. Never. A cool sense of calm enters my body. I gratefully close my eyes and let a feverish sleep envelop me.

* * *

_Paul_

Thank god. Not that I really believe in one, but if one's out there, thanks. Valerie is ok. It took two and a half panic-stricken hours to find her. But now she's safe, and my heart can finally beat normally. She's so fragile. I feel like I could break her with one hand tied behind my back. Her sleeping form in my arms softens my heart.

I could never hate her, or even be angry with her. I would kill myself if I ever hurt her. Should I say I love her? But it's more than that. I can't explain the feeling.

It's like getting thrown off a cliff, only to find that the most wonderful thing in the world is waiting at the bottom. _Aw damn._ I'm getting mushy. At least the bloodsucker isn't touching her. I can't stand that.

I run as fast as I can back to the Cullen's house. Jasper refuses to leave Valerie and me. The thing I don't get is that Jasper had Alice. What happened? Then again, I guess I can't really blame him. Imprinting or whatever they call it is hard to resist. I hadn't planned on imprinting; it just sort of happened. We reach the house.

"What happened now?" Edward greets us warily at the door.

"Exhaustion. But she was with another vampire, that's all I can tell," Jasper murmurs thoughtfully. The once-human-now-turned-bloodsucker, Bella, peeks out from behind Edward. A look of disapproval clouds her normally composed face. Would Edward be mad if I bit her head off? Probably. I settle for glaring at her, trying to hide my thoughts from the ever-so clever Edward.

I shove my way past Edward and Bella and set Valerie on their pristine couch. Carlisle hurries in from another room. He examines her, shooing me away. I shudder in jealousy when Jasper takes her pale hand. _No, I can't get mad now. I need to hold my temper. Just… just focus on Valerie. _Edward gives me a critical stare, but stays silent. I back away, but don't dare to leave. Jacob walks lazily into the room, holding a wide-eyed Reneesme.

"Man, she looks like she saw a vampire," he jokes lightly. "Or a whole coven of them," he adds. "Hilarious," I roll my eyes at him and punch his shoulder. "Could it have been the Volturi?" Esme asks curiously. "I don't recognize any of the scents that she picked up," replies Jasper, concentrating.

"She's stable, but in shock. She's unnaturally pale-" "Not compared to you," I remark stiffly. He shakes his head and sighs, "Were you able to find out where she was coming from?" Carlisle looks from me to Jasper. I shake my head.

"It'd be a hell of a lot easier to find out if she were awake," says Emmett. _What a jackass_. Edward hisses angrily at my thought. _What? It's true_. He rolls his eyes in disgust.

Carlisle goes back to his examination. Finally, after shaking her and trying to bring her back to consciousness, he says, "It seems that now we can't afford to wake her. She may have a shock-induced coma…" Carlisle trails off, leaving the awful possibility hanging in the air around us. I'm the first to speak.

"_Coma?_" The word comes slowly, almost painfully. "She can't. She has to wake up," Jasper interjects, cutting me off. That bastard. "How long will it last?" Jasper continues, clutching Valerie's hand even tighter. My chest clenches in jealousy.

"They can last any where from a couple of days to," he hesitates, but then goes on, "To a couple of years." No. NO! Valerie is _NOT_ going to be in a coma for that long. She can't be. "No," Jasper's voice is heavy with sadness. I almost feel bad for him, but think better of it. Valerie is not _his_, he can't have her.

"Isn't there some way we can wake her up?" I ask, on the verge of panicking.

"We don't want to cause her brain damage, but if it's just an exhausted state of unconsciousness, then it wouldn't hurt her too badly," Carlisle hesitates. It's the first time that I've seen him so unsure of himself and his actions. Damn. We're all falling apart.

"So, it might not be a coma… right?" Jacob lays his question out slowly, not wanting to give us all false hope. "Yes… possibly," Carlisle replies tiredly. "But we don't know for sure, I could take her to the hospital and do a scan, but I don't think this is too bad. She will come out of it," its like he's trying to reassure himself. My temper flares at my own uselessness.

"No," I snarl, digging my hands into my hair. "Let's just take her to the hospital," says Edward. I look at Valerie's breathing, but unmoving form. If we take her there, she'll be in the hands of the leeches. I can't let them take her away from me. She won't stay in that coma, not if I have anything to do about it.

Edward hears my thoughts a second before I act on them. I hear him growl and move to stop me just seconds too late.

I lunge forward and snatch the water bottle clutched in Esme's tiny hands. I rip the top off and, out of desperation, pour the contents straight onto Valerie's face, hoping to shock her awake. I don't even pause to see if the water woke her up.

I pull her swiftly from the couch by her shirt. Ignoring the furious figures beside me, slam my lips against hers. Her lips are crushed against mine and I pull back, hoping, maybe even praying that it would work. True love huh? Yeah right. But maybe, maybe the sudden movement, or something will wake her up. I shake her shoulders and whisper desperately, "Wake up, please, just wake up…" It was hardly a sweet, romantic moment, but luckily the outcome was successful.

Slowly, Valerie's eyes open. They are clouded by confusion. I am about to smile when a terrible, threatening growl erupts in the room. I quickly throw Valerie onto the couch, I can be apologetic later, but right now I've got to focus on not getting murdered by a group of pissed vampires. Jasper glares at me, tensed and poised to attack.

"You have some nerve," his voice comes out like a hiss of vapor. His whole body trembles in anger.

"Yeah, well, she is _my_ imprint…" I let my sentence trail off. I crouch, ready to take Jasper down. I ignore Jacob's astonished expression and the rest of the other stupid bloodsuckers.

Jasper starts to charge toward me, but I'm distracted by the movement to my right. Within seconds, Valerie has scrambled from the couch. Everything moves like its in slow motion.

Valerie leaps in front of me, flinging her arms wide. She's in between Jasper and I.

Unfortunately, she came at just the wrong moment...

the moment where Jasper had aimed to shove his hands into my heart and rip it out.


	7. Interest

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Alice

Something was happening. My visions of the future had suddenly become blurred and there were parts that were completely blank. It was either Valerie, or the werewolves. But… something else was there also. It was almost like a shadow… or maybe a presence that I knew was there, but I just couldn't find it. Weird. I'll have to tell Carlisle.

I race through the dense foliage of the forest. Hunting always made me feel better. I wonder what Jasper is doing… no, I can't think about him. If I think about him and _her_, it'll hurt too much. I want to blame her for everything, but I can't. It's not like she made him fall in love with her. Carlisle had told me that he had known a few other vampires who had felt a connection with a human, but Edward and Bella had been the first couple to actually make it. What would happen if Jasper and Valerie didn't make it? I hate that that makes me happy.

I hear a commotion from the house. Only a mile away, I race back as fast as I can. I arrive just in time to see the best, yet worst thing that could happen. Jasper's hand imbedded deep into Paul's abdomen. Valerie is crumpled behind Paul, just starting to sit up. Paul has a look of intense fury and pain. Jasper's face is a mask of horror. The room is silent and tense. I glance at Jacob. It seems as if he's deciding whether to be relieved that Valerie was not hurt, or angry that Jasper was about to rip Paul's heart from his chest.

"Ok, .hell," Leah's eyes flickered, taking in the situation. She and Seth were behind me in the doorway. Paul gives a pained snarl and rips Jasper's hand from his stomach. Jacob pulls Paul back by his shoulder and supports him while Paul clutches at his stomach. I quickly get to Jasper, and put myself between them. Everyone else seems shocked. Valerie stands and tries to hide the tears that drip down her cheeks.

"You bloodsuckers, what the hell did you do?" Leah demands, clenching her fists and taking slow steps forward.

"Leah," Seth warns.

"No, I want a damn good explanation for this!" Leah glares at Jasper.

"She was in the way, but I couldn't stop," Jasper's silky voice falters. He stares down at his hands, hating them. Carlisle steps up.

"They were about to fight, and Valerie jumped in between them. So, Paul threw her out of the way, but the force of him throwing her backwards pushed him closer to Jasper… and you see the consequences," Carlisle gives a worried grimace to Edward. Something nudges me in the back of my mind. I can't remember what it is, but for some reason it's important. I shake my head and look at Jasper. He still can't look up. I know him too well to think that he could forgive himself for what just happened.

"You'd better take Paul… away," Carlisle adds. Jacob nods, and drags Paul, still grimacing, toward the front door. Leah sniffs disdainfully, "You're lucky that we took Trevor home before you started this." She glares again at Jasper. I feel my temper rise, but I hold back. It would definitely make things worse if I launched into my protective mode.

"Trevor?" Valerie's tentative voice breaks the hostility in the room. Her hair is tangled and the skin under her eyes is a deep, sleep-deprived purple color. Looking closer, I can see her lips and hands trembling slightly.

"Oh dear, this is awful. I am so sorry Valerie; we'll get you home right away! Please, don't think of us like this, please…" Esme trails off. Valerie nods slowly, but there's doubt and a strange look of guilt in her eyes. Esme takes her hand and leads her to the door. Jasper makes a half-hearted move to follow, but Edward holds him back.

Once they're gone, Jasper sinks to his knees. "What have I done?" he stares blankly at nothing. "Will she ever forgive me?" he looks questioningly at me. I open my mouth, ready to reply with a definite 'yes', but nothing comes out. For once, I don't know what will happen.

Valerie

All I could remember was throwing myself in front of Paul. I saw the hatred in Jasper's eyes, and I saw his outstretched hand. The only thing I could think of was not letting him hurt Paul. But he did. And I'm sure he feels horrible, but… ugh, can't think straight. I know I should have said something about the rebel vampires, but I couldn't. Not yet, I don't want to hurt them yet. I'm just too selfish.

Tired and confused. That's all I can feel right now. Esme leads me to an extremely expensive looking car, and casually lifts me into the front seat. I don't even notice the trees blurring past us. Within minutes, we are in front of my house.

"Are you ok? Can I help you get inside?" Esme looks at me apologetically.

"No, thanks. I'll be ok, I think," I slowly get out of the car and walk to my front door. Before I can even open the door, she's gone.

"Valerie!" A relieved Trevor bounds down the stairs and squeezes me into a bear hug. "Are you ok? What happened? They said that you had fainted? Are you sick? Can you really believe everything they told us?" Trevor examines my face. I laugh the laugh of a tired, and deranged person.

"Look at you, being so grown up," I sigh. "I believe it. I don't know why, but it's all unfortunately true," I pat Trevor's head and stumble upstairs. He follows me up and helps tuck me into bed. "Thanks Trev. I wish I was the one taking care of you," I whisper from beneath my warm comforter. "Don't worry, you have been," he ruffles my hair fondly and exits, closing my door.

A noise wakes me up. I sit up and look blearily toward the sound. It's dark and rainy outside. And there's a hand outside my window. My throat closes up and instantly I think of Thalia. But then I see the face. Paul. My heart continues to beat fast, but I sigh in relief. He lifts himself higher and thrusts my creaky, old window open.

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaim angrily, throwing a pillow at him as he steps into my room. Water runs from his hair and face, soaking his already wet shirt. He easily bats the pillow away, closes my window, and steps further into the room.

"I'm just here to make sure you're ok. That's all," he says gruffly.

"Uh-huh. So you came all the way here, in the pouring rain, just to make sure I'm ok?" I reply skeptically. He fidgets and nods.

I get up from my bed and walk toward him. "How are you? Are _you_ ok?" I ask quietly, referring to the huge gash that Jasper left in him. "Yeah, werewolves heal fast," he gives me a lopsided smirk. I roll my eyes. "Of course they do," I move so that I'm only a foot away. Paul looks down. Cautiously, I reach toward him and lift the end of his dripping t-shirt. A wide white bandage is wrapped tightly around the lower end of his torso. I wince when I see the wide burgundy stain in the middle.

"Does it hurt?" I lightly trace the edge of the stain with my fingers. Paul swallows.

"No, not really," he murmurs.

"Oh," I let my hand drop. Paul catches it in his. Despite the frigid rain, his hands are hot and fiery. He pulls me into a hug, still clutching my hand.

"Why did you do it? Why did you put yourself between him and I?" He whispers hoarsely.

"I-I don't know… I just did," I reply softly, not daring to look up at him. I can feel the heat of his body even through his damp shirt.

A burning hand cups my chin and brings it up so that I'm looking into Paul's eyes. He brings our faces closer. He kisses me. And I kiss back. His lips are flaming, and the kiss awakens something that I've never felt before. He's the first to pull away, but he keeps his forehead against mine. "Thank you," he whispers. I lean into him, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing.

"For what?" I laugh softly. He smiles slightly. "For understanding, for putting yourself between me and a crazy vampire, for everything…" he brushes a stray strand of hair out of my face. I try to find a smart reply, but end up with nothing. So, I say what any teenage girl would say in a situation like this. "Oh shut up," and I pull his face back to mine.

This time the kiss is rougher and more desperate. Paul wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer. So many emotions course through my veins, I can't even think straight. My hands grasp the end of his shirt, pulling him closer. He pulls back. I blink in surprise and catch my breath. I begin to take a step back.

"Oh no you don't. You can't get rid of me that easily," Paul pulls me back, grinning slyly. "Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?" I glance at him in surprise. He smirks and takes his shirt off. I roll my eyes at the attempted joke. "You could at least _try_ not to be so cheesy," I grin, pulling him back to me. He lifts me up, kissing me at the same time, and sets me gently on my bed.

His lips continue to burn their way past mine, and into my entire body. He pushes me against the bed. I struggle to breathe and I can feel him smile against my lips. I run my hands through his short hair, and feel him shudder. It goes on like this for a while, but then he stops. I look questioningly up at him.

"You're still tired. You need to rest," He chuckles at my exasperated expression.

"Do I? Do I really?" I challenge, brushing my lips across his.

"As unfortunate as it is, yes," he replies smiling. He rolls off of me and curls around me. I huff in defeat and rest my head on his arm.

"You'll stay, won't you?" I hate how whiny and desperate my voice sounds.

"Yes," Paul replies with a yawn. "Always."


	8. Turning Tides

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_Sam_

I call everybody to meet on the beach. Running, I easily transform into my wolf-shape. My black fur lets me easily melt into the night. I continue to run as Jared, Jacob, and some others fall in beside me. Our minds are linked and I scan briefly through everyone's thoughts. We reach the moonlit beach.

_"This is about the vampires," _I say to everyone.

_"Stupid leeches,"_ Embry huffs. Jacob growls at him.

_"Enough. Recently, they have been taking things a step to far. We need to do something about this,"_ I say sternly.

_"But what are we going to do about that Valerie girl? As long as they're both into her, thing will never get resolved,"_ Jared questions.

_"I know, I know. We-"_ I'm cut off by Paul entering into wolf form. He runs toward us. His thoughts swirl through our heads.

_"Since when are you the one to be all responsible and virtuous?"_ Leah snorts, referring to Paul's previous actions in Valerie's room.

_"Hey, I was protecting her,"_ He snarls defensively.

_"Yeah, by taking your shirt off,"_ Jacob chortles.

_"She's different…" _Paul sighs.

_"Alright! As I was saying, this is something we have to take care of. So, from now on, no more contact with the leeches… er Cullens,"_ I finish.

_"But-"_

_"Yeah, yeah… Jake you are an exception,"_ I sigh wearily. He grins his stupid, goofy grin at me and begins to run lazily toward the Cullens.

I'm about to wrap the meeting up when Paul says, _"Whoa, Leah… he's a little young for you, don't you think?"_ Paul chuckles meanly. _"Shut it Paul!"_ Leah growls at him. I look at Leah's thoughts. Trevor. _"No. Everyone go mind your own damn business,"_ Leah begins to trot away. _"No problem, just keep your daydreams about you and the kid out of our heads!"_ Paul teases back. I half-heartedly reprimand him.

Paul rolls his eyes and starts to run back the way he came. We can all see that he's going back to Valerie. I sigh and head home. I just hope things with the vamps will stay peaceful. Sadly, I doubt that's going to be the case.

_Valerie_

I awake alone in my bed. Frantically, I sit up and curse myself for having been so stupid as to let Paul come inside and even kiss me no less! Stupid! I shouldn't have let him get that close to me. It was a rookie mistake. A rustle to my left interrupts my internal scolding and surprisingly painful aching near my chest. I look over and see Paul leaning back in my desk chair, smirking.

"Missing something?" He grins. I shoot him my best glare and quiet my beating heart.

"No, just glad to have all this room to myself," I reply with an innocent smile, stretching languidly out on my bed.

"Well you certainly seemed glad to have company last night," Paul remarks with a wink and I can't help but notice his lack of a shirt still. I feel my face flush and any clever retort dissolves in a stammer. Still looking at him, I see the bandage is gone.

"What?" I stand up and go to stand beside him, bending slightly so as to examine where his wound had been.

"What?" He follows my eyes to the spot on his abdomen. "Oh, right," he chuckles, "Remember how I said werewolves heal fast?" I lightly touch the now completely healed area and see only the faintest of pink scarring. "Woah," I breathe, hand still on his side. Paul grins again and slips his hand under mine and pulls me to him.

"Hey Val, can you-" Trevor opens my door and freezes, eyes wide. "Uh, never mind," he backs out slowly, and I cringe at how it must look. Paul in my room early in the morning with me on his lap, I shake my head and move to stand up. Paul follows and we stand there for a moment. Finally Paul wraps me in his arms and says, "So that was fun, we should do that more often." I give him a mock glare and reply, "Sadly no. You can't just show up at my bedroom window like some weird Romeo," I keep my expression stern, "And we especially can't do anything like this," I gesture to our embrace, "Around Trevor." Paul releases me and I feel a strange emptiness without him near.

"Well, alright," he concedes, hands in the air, "But when you find you can't resist me anymore, you know where to find me," he throws me a winning smirk and kisses me on the cheek before disappearing out the window.

"You could use the door y'know!" I call out after him. He turns grinning, "Yeah but then I couldn't be your Romeo," and with that he runs out past the street and into the forest.

_Trevor_

Ugh. The sight of my sister and Paul had been too gross to even think about. I liked the guy but definitely did _not_ want to see him with my sister like that. A small part of me got angry at him being in her room, but I quickly squashed it. I'd sworn to protect her, but I certainly didn't want to get in between her and any decent guy. And Paul seemed just as protective of her as I was, which must be a good thing. Right? Then again, he is a werewolf, I shook my head and marveled at the fact that I could accept that fact. Leah's also a werewolf, another part of me pointed out. Yeah, but it doesn't matter, does it?

I hear Val bounding down the stairs and watch blank faced as she rushes into the kitchen, almost knocking over my bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Hey! Watch it Juliet!" I snatch the bowl up just as her hands come in contact with the counter top. She grimaces.

"You heard that huh?"

"Only the last bit," I say with a sympathetic smile. "But listen, I like Paul, I just didn't expect you to be so… uh… open with him so soon," I grit my teeth at the last part, hoping she won't slap me. I glance at her, prepared to use my cereal as a shield if necessary. Instead she stands there, biting her lip and thinking.

"Well," she finally says, "I wasn't that "open" with him, since you were so kind as to worry about that." She rolls her eyes and continues, "But yeah, he kind of just showed up at my window. But I won't let it happen again; don't worry so much little bro," she exits the kitchen after ruffling my hair. I sigh and ruffle it back into place. I wouldn't have to worry if she wasn't always hanging around vampires and werewolves. They shouldn't even exist! I crunch my last marshmallow in protest and head upstairs to get ready for the day.

The school day crawls by in a blur of boring lectures and notes. Monday. I hate Mondays. The heavy rain doesn't help much either, I think glumly to myself as I exit the building after last period. I look around for Val, hoping she'll run through the rain to the car and pick me up under the building's overhang.

"Trevor!" A female voice calls me. I turn to see Leah and Paul standing under the edge of the roof, just barely out of the rain. Seeing Leah makes my heart beat faster and I run my hand through my hair, making sure it looks okay.

"Hey guys," I say as I come to stand beside them. Nodding to Paul I add, "Nice to see you _again_." Leah rolls her eyes as Paul grins.

"So, we were thinking you and Valerie could head to the reservation with us," Paul said, leaning against the wooden beam holding that section of roof up.

"Tonight?" I ask in surprise. Not that I'm a big believer in homework, but the teachers keep handing it out like its Christmas. I'm saved from answering by Valerie joining us.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" She asks.

"Wanted to know if you two could come to the reservation tonight," Leah replies curtly before Paul can flirt. I can't help but notice how the rain and mist make her dark eyes and hair stand out beautifully.

"Hm, tonight," Valerie bites her lip. "I don't know, it's a Monday, we have work to do," she glances at me, wanting my opinion. Once again I'm saved from having to answer when one of the Cullens, Jasper I believe, strides up to us. His eyes are a fiery golden and their narrowed in fury.

"What are _you_ doing here mongrel?" His snarl is directed toward Paul, but Leah's fists tighten and she tenses.

"Just hangin'," Paul's tense as well, but I can tell he's making an effort to stay calm around all the people. Valerie takes a couple steps to be in between the two.

"They were just asking if we could go to the La Push reservation tonight," she puts a hand on Jasper's arm and that instantly makes him back down slightly. Paul, on the other hand, growls at their touch.

"Trevor, we should go. Never mind about the reservation, I'll take you home," Leah cuts in, grabbing my arm and dragging me into the rain.

"But Val! I need to protect her! Those two are time bombs!" I protest and pull away. She rolls her eyes and drags me close to her. I feel the heat of being so close and fight to keep my resolve.

"Listen Trevor, neither of them will ever, ever hurt her. I can promise you that," she looks up at me and I melt inside.

"Oh- okay, as long as she'll be safe," I finally sigh and allow myself to be pulled along through the rain to Val's car. I catch a last glimpse of them just as Valerie throws a sick punch at Paul's shoulder. Yep, she'll be fine.


	9. Love, Hate, and Confusion

_Jasper_

He'd said, "Well, you could go with the bloodsucker tonight, but I think it's pretty obvious who's better in bed. Last night was proof," and she'd punched him. He could've blocked it, but he just looked at her incredulously.

"What was that for?" He exclaimed. I watched in amusement as he went from confident idiot to bumbling buffoon.

"For being a jerk! You don't just go around throwing stuff like that out there!" Valerie snarled, something I didn't think she could do. My sweet Valerie was a fighter deep down. That made me want her even more.

"What's true is true," he shrugged. Valerie was now glaring viciously at him.

"Listen," I cut in, trying to ignore the feelings of fury and jealousy rising up at the mention of them together, "Don't just disregard her feelings you filthy mutt, and if you disrespect her again I'll aim for the heart next time." Turning to Valerie I add, "I apologize for the vulgarity, but it's really the only way he communicates." I see a small smile spread across her lips and feel warm inside.

"See? Gentleman," Valarie pointed at me and I inwardly beamed. "You," she pointed at Paul, "Asshole," and stalked off into the rain. Paul looks like he wants to run after her, but I snarl and say, "Don't even bother." I tune out his growl of rage and jog to catch up with her disappearing form. It doesn't take long, what with super speed and all, but I approach with caution. She's still visibly annoyed and I don't want to upset her further.

"Valerie?" I ask tentatively. She whips around and sighs.

"Oh it's you," a look of relief washes across her face.

"So I know you're upset," she nods along, still striding quickly despite the downpour, "But, I'd like to offer you a quicker way home," I finish, brushing rain drops from my forehead. She pauses and comes to a standstill.

"A car would be great right about now," she admits, sticking her already soaked shoe in a puddle for emphasis. I catch myself noticing how the rain has made her cotton shirt stick and accentuate her body. Ah no! You can't have thoughts like that. Wish I really was a gentleman, I think grimly.

"Well, yes. A car would be great, but actually Edward drove me today," I reply guiltily. "But," I rush to save myself, "I was thinking of a slightly slower, but still pretty fast method." She raises an eyebrow. About to reply, I stop myself. Instead I say, "Arms or back?" Her eyes widen in confusion.

"Excuse me? What?"

"Arms or back?" I repeat giving her a smile. She hesitates, biting her lip in such a cute way.

"Arms," she says finally, eyeing me suspiciously. We're at the edge of the parking lot and most students have fled from the rain, so I take a chance. With lightning reflexes I scoop her up in my arms. She's as light as a feather, but so warm and coursing with life. I roughly squelch the hunger that rises at her touch. It's intoxicating. Almost overwhelming, but I control it. If Edward could do it, so can I.

"What are you doing?" She demands, beginning to squirm out of my hold. I shake rain from my hair and reply, "Hang on tight." I start running in the direction of her house. To me, everything looks normal and I'm able to focus on most everything. Valerie, however, I can feel starts to cringe and I feel her hands tighten on my shirt. We reach the border of the forest and I run along it until I see the plain, white structure. Slowing, I stop just in front of her door. I carefully let her down and help steady her as she blinks in shock.

"Wow," she says, "And also, what the hell! A little warning next time!" I look at my feet. "Sorry, I did tell you to hold on tight," I offer my most innocent smile. She looks me up and down and finally replies, "Well next time, if there is a next time, let me know." I nod and add, "Next time huh?" I see her flush and it looks so deliciously adorable. I can't help thinking that it'd be so nice having her back in my arms.

"I should go," I say quickly, before my thoughts get out of control. I lean in and kiss her on her forehead before racing away.

_Paul_

Well goddammit. That stupid bloodsucker is spending time with her. And I still can't do anything about it because Sam wants to keep the peace. Goddammit. I had felt the rage coming as they walked away, but luckily I was able to keep it in until breaking into wolf form and tearing at some trees. Violence is sometimes the answer.

I trot back toward home and do my best not to think about how close that leech will try to get to Valerie. Idiot. I shouldn't have been so obnoxious, but sometimes it just comes out. I howl in annoyance. I'm alerted to Leah joining my mind when a rumble of thoughts intrudes on mine.

_ Woah-ho-ho. Leah!_ I think to her.

_Don't even Paul. I will rip you to shreds_. She thinks back furiously.

_Getting hot and heavy with the kid huh?_ I chuckle. _We could be in-laws_. I add merrily, enjoying the howl I hear in the distance.

_Do me a favor and shut up_. She growls, heading toward her own house. I shake drops from my coat and continue running.

_So, how was it? How far did you go? Wait, no. I actually don't want to know, but I bet he appreciated that mole on the right-_ I'm cut off by her barreling into me and snapping my ear. Ow.

_Go back to mentally defiling that poor girl_. She snaps at me again and I shove her a couple feet. She moves back and I run through her thoughts. She had taken Trevor home and then he'd leaned in and kissed her. I sighed and shivered in satisfaction and disgust.

_Hey, she's special_. I insist. _And I do _not_ defile!_ _I don't even know what that means!_ I bark, hurt at the thought of ever being capable of hurting Valerie.

_Whatever_. Leah sniffs and runs off.

_You're just jealous because mine's prettier_. I think with a laugh.

_Oh please, you think anything that can fit into a bikini is hot_. She threw back.

_That was the old me Leah! Look how much I've changed!_ I almost whimper. Almost. She mentally rolls her eyes and flicks me off before transitioning back to human form.

I reach the end of the beach and decide I'd better get back to being human since it'd take forever for my coat to dry. I shift, grimacing and wincing, and finally head toward the cluster of houses. I have changed, I think. And I'll keep changing if that's what it takes to win Valerie. I clench my fists as I think of that leech again. She could never be with him. He's a bloodsucker who'll want to turn her into one of them. I feel a tremor of rage shoot through my body. I swear that'll never happen. He'll regret ever touching her if it does.

_Valerie_

Jasper had been so sweet, but suddenly he'd turned very awkward and kind of distant. Then he'd run off. I was actually surprised at the warm, fluttery feeling I'd gotten when he'd been so close, and the empty one when he'd left. His skin had been so cold, but I'd felt completely safe and warm inside. Just like Paul, a small voice warns. Paul. Paul and Jasper. What was going on? Both made me feel safe and happy, but how can they _both _make me feel that way? I don't really know what to make of that, I contemplate, opening the front door. I head to my room with Jasper, Paul, and school work filling my mind.

"Hey sis," Trevor sticks his head out from his room and smiles.

"Hey Trev," I reply. "What's up?" He looks at me startled.

"What do you mean 'what's up?' Nothing's 'up'. Is something wrong? Why do you ask?" He rambles nervously. Something must've happened, and he's not telling me.

"How was your drive home?" I ask suspiciously, watching as he blushes and runs a hand through his hair. He needs a haircut, but he looks older, even with his baby face.

"Drive… home. Oh-uh… normal," he finally blurts out.

"Trev, what aren't you telling me?" I stick my foot between the door and the wall before he can shut it.

"Nothing," he mumbles. I cross my arms and give him a commanding look. "Well, fine," he huffs and leans back in his chair. "Leah and I might've kissed, but no big deal alright?" He blushes just at the mention of her name. A little part of me melts and I "aw" internally. Outwardly, I roll my eyes and respond, "Oh Trev you're ridiculous."

"Right back at you," he calls as I exit and head to my room.

Once situated at my desk I smile at the prospect of Leah and Trevor dating. It's an interesting mix. My upbeat little brother and a snarky, fiery werewolf dating? Weird. Thinking about the werewolves makes me think back to Thalia and her horde of vampires. It makes me shiver in terror just to remember their cruel, red eyes and icy disregard for killing. How can I possibly tell the Cullens to mercilessly murder the wolves? I'd tried ignoring it, but how long can I wait? No, I can't wait anymore. Who can I tell that will have a solution? I think for a while and beginning pacing anxiously. Then it hits me. Carlisle. He seemed rational and intelligent, as well as extremely level-headed. I could tell him. I could trust him.

Decision made, I grab my keys and tell Trevor I'm heading out. He doesn't bother to ask where and I rush out the door sighing in relief. He does _not_ need to be dragged into another mess. And a potentially violent one at that. I nervously grip the steering wheel as I drive to the Cullen's lot. Once parked, I run toward their front door and am met with Edward, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Well, that's super speed for you.

"What's wrong?" He asks, reading the stress on my face.

"I need to talk to Carlisle," I reply, not giving up my reasons just yet.

"Hm, okay," he says hesitantly, face darkening in seriousness. He blurs and disappears into the house. While I wait I notice the long-haired brunette looking at me from one of the windows. I offer a tentative wave but she's gone. Suddenly, she appears before me, arms crossed and eyes glaring.

"You need to leave Jasper alone," she says.

"What? What do you mean?" I stutter in nervousness. Just because I've spent time with vampires does _not_ mean I'm completely comfortable with going head to head with an angry one.

"Oh please," she snarls, "Ever since you've been here you've torn this family apart!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" I reply, trying to steady my shaking hands.

"Jasper and Alice _belong_ together. It's your fault they split and now Alice is-" I hold up my hand to cut her off.

"Wait. What? Jasper and Alice were together?" I feel indignation rise in my chest at being accused of a boyfriend stealer. The brunette, Bella I think, nods and continues to stare daggers at me. "I had no idea. I really didn't, and I'm sorry," I murmur, still a little shocked at being told I was messing things up. She rolls her eyes and huffs loudly. "Well just stay away from him," she concludes, turning to go and leaving me wide-eyed and hurt. Just then, Edward returns with Carlisle.

"Is it true? Did I really come between Jasper and Alice?" I whisper, fighting back tears. Tears of sadness, anger, annoyance, you name it, I was feeling it. Carlisle and Edward exchange anxious glances.

"Well, yes… and no," Carlisle begins. Edward shoots a look at Bella and they vanish into the house.

"It's my fault they aren't together," I say, just reinforcing the thought.

"Listen, it's nobody's fault really," Carlisle replies with a small, sad smile. "Whatever connection Jasper has with you is not your fault. Just as it's not your or Paul's fault that he imprinted on you," he adds, "It's never anyone's intention, but it happens."

"Imprinted? What do you mean?" I ask, still trying to comprehend how I became the bad guy. And I was, wasn't I? I ruined a relationship that was full of love and happiness. I was worse than Thalia and her followers.

"Right!" I cut Carlisle off before he can reply, "Sorry! The real reason I came here was to warn you!" I continue frantically.

"Warn me of what?" Carlisle asks in shock.

"Something that could hurt everyone you love," I answer grimly.

_Alice_

I'd heard everything Bella had said to that Valerie girl. Despite the fact that I would've liked to see her disappear, I felt a little bad hearing her baffled response to Bella's accusations. Still, it was true that ever since she arrived things have been strange. I can't help but think it would have been better if we'd let Jasper lose control that first time he'd seen her. Argh! No, what am I thinking? I scold myself and hate that I could even harbor such thoughts.

I begin to run from the house, hoping a little hunting will take my mind off of Valerie and Jasper, especially Jasper. I still love him, and I know he still loves me, but that involuntary attraction to Valerie is in the way. Okay, stop thinking about it. I force all thoughts of him and her out of my head. I clear my mind just in time to run straight into Jasper. Of course my lighting fast reflexes allow me to maneuver out of his way before we collide, but I still feel the brush of his skin on my arm and am buffeted by his scent.

"Woah, in a hurry?" He teases, coming to a halt. I laugh cheerily, not wanting him to pick up on my sour mood.

"Always," I reply.

"Listen," he starts off. "Nope, I really don't need to hear it. I understand. I really do," I cut him off before I can hear the heartbreaking apology. Frustration and distress are clear on his face and I smile a small smile. Determination sets in and I see him take a step forward. Quickly I jump fifty feet back, shaking my head. "I told you," I whisper, knowing he can hear me, "It's better if you just stay away from me." I feel sadness catch in my throat.

"No," I hear him say, beginning to run toward me. I turn to sprint away, but he's in front of me in a flash and I crash ungracefully into him at fifty miles per hour. I feel his arms wrap around me and hold me close to him. I dare to look up at him and am met with his golden eyes. He looks sad and I see him being much sadder in the future.

"Alice," he says my name tenderly. "I'm sorry, so sorry," he grips me tighter and I fight back against nonexistent tears.

"It's not-" I begin to say. "No. It is my fault. And I am deeply and truly sorry. I still love you, I do, it's just…" he trails off, trying to figure out the complexity of his attraction to Valerie. "I know," I murmur dejectedly. We look at one another again forehead to forehead. "Alice," he breathes again and brushes his lips against mine. His scent and the strength of his arms around me is overwhelming, and I almost lose my nerve, but then I jerk out of his arms and stand ten feet back. Holding my arms around myself protectively I give him a final look and sprint away, praying he won't follow me.

**Alright people: things heat up from here! If you've stuck with me this far thank you and I truly appreciate it! :)**


	10. Closer With A Touch

**Chapter 10! Hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading this far :D**

_Jasper_

I watched as Alice ran off into the woods. My chest hurt at her departure, but I had felt a spark when I'd kissed her. I still love her. I knew I still did. It's the same love that I've always had for her. And yet, somehow it's different. It's like I'm pulled in two different directions at once. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. How is this possible?

I wander back to the house, punching a few trees down in frustration before entering. Upon shutting the door, I smell Valerie. She's been here a while and I hear her soft voice echoing from the front of the house. Her and Carlisle are talking as I peek into the room.

"What are you two talking about?" I ask, stepping farther into the room, taking in her amazing scent.

"Jasper!" Valerie turns and her eyes startle me. They are fiercely glaring at me and she strides over and tries to hit me in the chest. Not just a slap though, she has a tightly balled up fist that almost reaches me, before I catch it in surprise.

"What?" I ask in confusion, still gripping her wrist tightly. She struggles and replies, "You need to stay away from me!" Before I can respond she rips her wrist from my grasp, wincing slightly, and stalks out the front door, offering an apologetic look to Carlisle.

"Jasper," Carlisle says with sympathetic eyes.

"Alice said the same thing," I say with a sigh. Carlisle pats me on the shoulder and walks out of the room saying, "There'll be bigger things to worry about soon, don't you worry."

_Valerie_

The nerve of Jasper. Having just split with Alice and then beginning to flirt with me? And he'd been good at it! I'd even thought he might've truly liked me. Not good. Delivering the awful news to Carlisle had been even worse. He'd said he had to think about it, but how much time did he have? I contemplate all this as I nervously drive back home, tapping anxiously at the steering wheel. I roll past the house, glancing at the sky, and decide to calm down before seeing Trev. It's not raining too heavily anyway.

I drive into a parking lot by the side of the forest, intended for active tourists, and park by a dirt path that's seen better days. Getting out, I ignore the umbrella stowed in the glove compartment and wander between the trees, feeling the refreshing rain wake me up. Pausing, I sit under a large, old oak tree. The moss squishes beneath me and I sigh at the drizzling rain. Good, I deserve to be soaked and uncomfortable. I'm not only a bearer of bad news, but a home-wrecker too. Awesome.

A rustling to my right disturbs my pity-party. I tense and fear creeps along my spine. A sniffing sound and more rustling get closer. I scoot back right up against the tree, hoping I can pull a chameleon or something like that and turn invisible. Or at least less visible. I look dismayed at the oncoming rustling. Suddenly, the rustling stops. I let out a little breath. A growl and a giant, brownish-tan wolf leaps from a cluster of ferns. I let out a small scream before clamping my hands over my mouth, remembering what it really is.

"Okay, which one are you?" I squeak, still fighting to bring my heart rate down. The wolf rolls its eyes and snorts. "Leah," I say with a small grin. The wolf gives a sniff, as if the answer was obvious and looks at me inquisitively. "Oh, yeah," I gesture to myself. "I must look crazy huh?" Leah gives a little shoulder roll in response, sniffing at my right hand. "What? Oh," I finally notice some dark bruising and an increasing soreness emanating from the joint. Must've been when Jasper had blocked my hit, I think with a mental shrug.

Leah woofs quietly and pokes at the bruising. "Hey ow!" I protest, pulling my wrist to my chest and protecting it with my hand. Leah rolls her eyes again and nods her head back to the right. I stare at her, not understanding. She gives a huff and sticks her head under my shoulder and shoves me from the tree. "Hey! Watch it! Bad girl, sit! No!" I grimace as I rise from the wet dirt and leaves. Leah snorts and pushes me with her head again toward the right. "Lie down! Stay! Leave it!" I try out all the commands I know and then give up. Leah cough-laughs and rolls her eyes indignantly each time I attempt to command her.

We walk, with her bullying me on, to the right and continue that way until we reach the beach. The rain had since increased and I curse the weather channel for having lied. Once on the sand, Leah kneels down, still reaching my upper thigh and nods at her back. I raise an eyebrow and she bares her teeth. Fine. Fine. I clamber on her back and hold on tightly with my good hand. She stands up and runs. While it's not as seamless or gentle as Jasper's running, she's fast. I feel the wind whipping my hair and I can feel tears being ripped from my watering eyes.

Eventually, I see houses in the distance. Two other wolves come to join us as we race along, but I don't see Paul. Slowly, Leah begins to trot, jolting me up and down. Before we hit the pavement I tug at her fur. She stops and snarls. I half jump, half fall off of her and straighten up. She growls at me and glares. "I'll walk from here thanks," I pat her back and start walking. I can feel her eye roll from behind me.

The other wolves follow, snuffling at Leah, who growls and snaps at them, which only sends them off in a flurry of amused yipping. We step onto a street and Leah steers us to a house. It's a beautiful little house and I am head-nodded to the door. I glance back as the wolves and Leah trot away to the side of the house. Shrugging, I wince as I accidentally knock with my right hand. Whoops.

The door is opened by a beautiful woman, Emily from the bonfire. I try again to swallow my shock at her horrific scars. She smiles kindly and welcomes me in.

"Valerie right?" She asks, leading me to another room.

"Yes, it's nice to see you again," I reply politely, trying to hide my shivering. She looks at me with sympathetic eyes. She leads me into a bedroom and begins pulling out clothes. It seems like people do this a lot for me, I muse silently, thinking back to when Esme did the same thing. She's about my size so I breathe a sigh of relief as I slip on the t-shirt and jeans. She bundles up my clothes and tosses them in a dryer in the next room.

"So Valerie, let me get a look at that wrist," she asks once we're settled in the kitchen with mugs of steaming tea.

"Oh, you noticed huh?" I grimace, holding it up.

"Well, when someone tries to covertly dress with just one hand it takes a lot not to notice," she chuckles, standing up and retrieving a first aid kit.

"I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I thought," I admit with a laugh. The shivering had quieted down but I was still relieved when she wrapped a fleece blanket around my shoulders, leaving my right arm bare.

Just as she was about to examine it, Paul bursts through the back door.

"Where is she?" He demands, still halfway outside and dripping wet.

"Right here, calm down Paul," Emily says calmly, backing back.

"You're hurt." Paul strides over and looks down at my bruised wrist.

"Not badly, it's only bruised, not fractured or brok-" I begin to explain when he interjects, "It was him, wasn't it?" I don't dare to look up at him.

"Valerie," he says, voice strained. "Was it him?" I slowly meet his eyes, begging him not to lose it.

"Yes," I finally say, almost unintelligible. I watch as a ripple spreads throughout his body, hands clenched and face contorted in rage. I stand up, but Emily pulls me back toward the wall.

"You have to go, run if you can," she says, voice shaking.

"No I-" Leah, Jacob, and Sam barge in, assess the situation, and immediately get between Paul and Emily and I. Sam and Jacob push at Paul, edging him toward the door.

"Come on man, outside. You have to get out," Sam says through gritted teeth, looking at Emily. Paul is now visibly shaking and I watch the tremors grow worse and worse. Leah backs us further up against the wall and shouts, "Get him out _now_ Sam!" Paul grabs his head, fighting for control, and I catch my breath in worry. "Emily get farther away!" Sam yells over Paul's growls. He looks at her with knowing worry and I feel Emily start to pull me toward the other rooms.

"Control it," Jacob warns Paul, easing him closer to the door.

"I- I'm trying," he replies, teeth grinding and hands gripping a wooden chair. It starts splintering in his hands. He's locked in place, but exerting all his effort at controlling his change. They're not getting him out fast enough, I think, nervously glancing at Emily and Leah as we back away. Sam and Jacob tug on him harder and Leah pushes Emily and I back faster. Unfortunately, because the day decided it could get worse, I trip over my own feet and feel myself fall. Without warning, I land hard on the wooden floors, with the breath knocked out of me.

Leah and Emily quickly kneel down, peppering me with questions of concern. I'm about to respond, despite the stars swimming in my vision, when Paul's face comes into view. He's still breathing heavily and has to blink a couple times before focusing on me, but his tremors and shaking have stopped.

"Valerie! Are you okay?" His face has transformed from one of pain to one of worry.

"Paul," Sam growls warningly, crouched and ready to jump between Paul and Emily. Jacob is behind him, shocked at Paul's swift transition.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Paul waves him off and lifts me easily from the ground. "Are you okay?" He repeats to me, setting me on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Yes," I say, just as shocked as everyone else, "You… You controlled it?" I stare wonderingly at him. He shrugs, nodding at Jacob and Sam. They relax slightly and lean against the granite counter.

"That's pretty damn impressive," Jacob finally concedes, hopping up onto the counter, bending forward a little to avoid the cabinets.

"Yes, very interesting," Sam says, more to himself than anyone. Emily offers him a relieved smile and he softens, coming to stand beside her.

"I just kind of snapped out of it," Paul admits, crouching and taking my wrist in his hand.

"I'll take care of that," Emily interrupts Paul's examination despite his protests and shoos him away. She pulls out a stiff fabric and a softer one and begins gently wrapping my wrist. I keep my face blank, trying not to give away how much it hurts. I can just imagine how much Leah will laugh at me for tearing up at a bruised wrist. Not even broken, I sniff to myself.

Once done, I thank Emily and decline her generous offer to stay for dinner. I'm sure I've already caused her enough trouble for the evening, and with much thanking and promising to spend more time on the reservation, I exit with Paul, who insisted on taking me home. I gingerly test my wrist, now completely immobile thanks to Emily's impressive wrapping. It still hurts, but now it's more of an ache. Emily had guessed that it had been deeper bruising than we originally thought and I grimaced at the memory of Paul's stormy face at the mention of worse injury.

We walk along the street, silence weighing heavily on me. Finally Paul says, "I'm glad you're okay. And I'm sorry I lost control back there." I stop, grabbing his hand.

"But you didn't," I say, voice soft. "You didn't lose control at all," I go on, keeping his hand firmly in mine. He shakes his head.

"But I almost did, and that's what counts. I put you in danger," his hand clenches and distress flashes through his eyes.

"No, no… not at all," I squeeze his hand, "What counts is that nobody was hurt. What counts is that you controlled it and you didn't put anyone in danger."

"If you say so," he replies gloomily. He sighs and clears his throat.

"So, I need to get you home," he gives me a small smile and I return it, glad he's not upset still.

"Oh! My car, it was at the edge of-" I begin to say.

"Okay, stay right here, and I'll be back in a second," his smile transforms into a grin and he jogs back behind a grouping of houses. I wait, holding my arm, and think about how crazy this day has been. My thoughts are cut off by a large, silver-gray wolf bounding up to me. I stare in awe.

"Really Paul?" I laugh as he kneels down and allows me to climb onto his back. He makes a rumbling sound and barks softly before loping off. I cling on for dear life and hope I don't fall. His fur is silky and tough at the same time, and I attempt holding on with my one hand and stroking the smooth fur at the same time.

We continue to race along, reaching the woods and darting in between trees and clumps of ferns. I crouch low to his back as we leap and swerve around forest debris. Finally, we hit the end of the forest and I see glimpses of my truck. At the pavement, Paul waits as I slide off and then motions, in a weird canine way, for me to wait. I wait quietly as he disappears back into the woods, and reemerges minutes later wearing dark shorts and no shoes or shirt.

"Thank you," I smile at him.

"Oh, I believe I said I'd take you home. And since you're not home yet," he grins.

"Wow, I just can't get rid of you huh?" I tease, unlocking the car.

"I'm charming like that," he slides into the passenger seat, but then pauses. "You shouldn't drive with your wrist," he points at it for emphasis.

"I'll be fine," I lie, hoping to sound convincing.

"Nope, switch," he replies.

"Mmmh, no I'm good," I smile sweetly, sticking the key in the ignition.

"Didn't want to have to do this," he says with mock regret. He sticks his left leg into the driver's side foot area and pulls the key out, blocking my objections by scooting closer to the driver's seat and lifting me up.

Although I squirm and flail, it is useless. He effortlessly lifts me up over the center of the front seat, careful of my wrist, and sits me halfway on the passenger seat and halfway on his lap. I work up a glare to throw at him, but quickly realize just how close we actually are. His arm is around my waist and his other hand steadied my legs. I breathe in startled and blush involuntarily. I am increasingly aware of every point he's touching and it burns intensely through every fiber of my being. His deep, dark eyes gaze into mine, holding me breathless.

"Valerie, I-" He brings his hand to my cheek, brushing back my hair and cupping the side of my face. I don't dare to move. "I-" He hesitates and the spell is broken. I shake my head before he can continue and move closer.

"I know," I whisper and he brings our lips together.

The kiss is warm and gentle. I am so acutely aware of his movements that I barely even notice I've shifted into a compromising, straddling position on his lap. Arms around his neck, I sink deeper into the kiss and he wraps his arms tighter around my waist, pulling me closer. He pulls back, breathing heavily and runs his lips along my neck, kissing delicately. I tilt my head back, knowing that I should keep a clear head. I should stop this before it gets out of control. I should do a lot of things. But I won't.


	11. Sweet and Spicy

**Thanks for reading this far everyone! I really appreciate it! I'm going to have a couple more chapters and then the finale! But don't worry, tons of drama will unfold soon enough ;)**

_Sam_

The call from Carlisle was unexpected and very surprising. Normally, with the exception of Jake, Leah, and Seth, we wolves try to stay away from the bloodsuckers. However, recent days have made that a little more challenging than it used to be. I'm just glad the scene today didn't end worse. Paul had almost lost it, but I'd been proud of his self-control. That girl. There was something about her that kept him steady. It was incredible to watch someone who's always been wild and unpredictable start to learn control and cool down. It made me proud and nervous at the same time.

The leeches sure aren't happy about this though. I don't want another potential war on our hands, but at the same time I don't see a happy resolution for all parties. As the leader of the pack I have to do something, but what? Most of the time it's all clear cut and easy to decide. But here and now? Different. I can't control Paul anymore than I can control that Jasper leech. Even if I assert my alpha commands. Paul would be miserable. And we can't let the leeches win… but are we even fighting the same battle? At one point we were on the same team, but now the whole Valerie situation could threaten that. It already has.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Emily gazes at me worriedly.

"Nothing," I lie, pushing away any ominous thoughts.

"I know something's wrong," she puts her hand over mine and adds, "You can either tell me now or I'll find out from Embry or Jake later." She grins triumphantly.

"Oh okay," I wrap my arms around her and kiss her on the cheek. "You always get it out of me sooner or later anyway," I concede, smiling at her laugh. "The head vampire, Carlisle, called today," I begin. She pulls away and raises an eyebrow in surprise. "And he wants to meet. Everyone. The whole pack and his 'family' sometime soon," I finish, pulling her back to me and resting my chin on her head. She sighs and leans against my shoulder.

"Do you know why?" She finally asks.

"No. It could be about that Valerie girl," I say, "But it sounded much more serious than just a light chat over reining Paul in," I fall into contemplative silence. She straightens up and kisses me lightly, running a hand through my short-cropped hair.

"Don't worry about it too much," she says with a forced smile.

"I won't." I feel guilty lying.

_Valerie_

His hand slides up my thigh and rests at my hip. Its fiery heat makes me gasp and yearn for more at the same time. I fight for breath as he breaks our kiss and trails light kisses along my jaw and down my neck once more. His hand moves to the small of my back, lifting up the bottom of my shirt and pressing his burning hand against my skin. It feels electrifying.

"Valerie," he whispers, nuzzling the base of my neck. I let my hand run from his neck down his chest and feel the hard muscle underneath his shirt. The touch intrigues me and I run my hand back up to his collar bone. He breathes in sharply and brings our lips back together. It's a passionate kiss, one I've never had before, and I fall into it, feeling the tenderness of his lips against mine. We're both breathing heavily as the kiss intensifies. I feel his hand move slowly farther up my back, pushing my shirt further up.

A loud, sharp ring makes me jump. The buzzing and ringing continue, making Paul stop and groan into my neck. I pull away, giving him an 'I know' look, and grope for the cellphone. The caller ID shows Trevor. Scolding myself over being responsible, I answer it.

"Valerie! Where are you? It's like 10 o'clock!" He sounds worried.

"Sorry Trev," I glance at Paul's exasperated face and stifle a laugh. "I lost track of time in the woods," I cringe at the lie. I'm supposed to be protecting him, not lying to him.

"Well, are you on your way home?" He asks tentatively, sounding like the scared little brother I've always loved.

"Yes, I'll be there soon, don't worry so much," I fake a lighthearted laugh and end the call.

"So," Paul says.

"So," I repeat, kind of shocked at how far I let that go. We sit for a while in silence, and then Paul lifts me the rest of the way into the passenger seat and maneuvers himself into the driver's seat. He starts the car and drives slowly to my house. The rain has lessened and I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He parks and cuts the engine, sitting very still. I feel myself wanting to be close to him, missing his touch. But the annoying part of me lectures on how irresponsible it was to have done all of that. No more, you've got to stop it.

"Paul, this shoul-" I begin to explain how it was a mistake to have let him kiss me again, but instead he puts a finger to my lips.

"Let me take you on a real date," he smiles kindly and I am almost lost again in his deep eyes and warm embrace.

"I don't know…" I hesitate.

"Come on, it'll be fun. I won't take no for an answer," he puts on a puppy-dog face and my determination dissolves.

"Alright, sure," I laugh when he swoops down and kisses me on the nose, giving me a sly grin.

"Pick you up tomorrow at 8," he says and gets out of the car.

_Paul_

I wake up thinking about her. The way she smiles, the way she smells, even the way she will sometimes nervously twirl her hair; it's incredible. I stretch and get up from bed, padding lightly to the bathroom and scrutinize my appearance. Normally I don't care what the hell I look like, but today I want to impress Valerie. I hop in the shower and scrub furiously at any traces of dirt that I find. Being a werewolf doesn't grant you any awesome, supernatural hygiene points.

Once out of the shower, I towel myself dry and work on what I'm going to wear. Dear God I'm actually _thinking_ about what I'm wearing. God how I've changed. I land on a dark gray t-shirt and jeans. Crap no. What will Valerie think? Do I look to sloppy? Maybe she would prefer something else. How the hell should I know? I glare angrily at myself in the mirror. Damn.

"Paul! You lazy mutt! Get out here!" A voice shouts up at my window. I throw it open roughly and splinters of wood rain down on me.

"Fuck! I just showered! This better be good," I glare down at Jared.

"Just wanted to see your smiling face," he grins crookedly.

"Well you've seen it," I growl and move to shut the window.

"No, come on man! Let's go do something," he sweeps his arms in the air, "Wolf style," he adds with a mischievous laugh.

"I'm busy," I reply flatly.

"Doing what?" He's pretty damn persistent. I curse internally, preparing for the oncoming teasing.

"Getting ready for a goddamn date okay? You got a problem with that?" I sneer, daring him to comment.

"Big bad Paul? On an honest date?" He holds his sides as he practically doubles over with laughter. "Aw man, can't believe how different you are. What a tame little puppy you've become," he eventually sobers up and nods up at me. "So, what's it gonna be like?" I roll my eyes, knowing he won't shut up until I tell him the details.

"What are you, a teenage girl?" I cushion the insult by adding, "Come on up."

_Valerie_

I spend the entire day worrying about the date. It seems so ridiculous, worrying about a date. It's such a simple and unimportant thing, but at the same time, I can't get it out of my head. What does it mean? I've barely known Paul for a month and yet, I feel as if I could spend forever with him. What was that that Carlisle had said? Imprinted? What does that mean? It's all so confusing, and worrisome. And really, I should be focusing on Trevor and school. I guess haven't been doing much of either lately.

A ring at the door jumpstarts my heart into panic mode. I give myself one last glance in the full length mirror in the hall and rush to the door. When I open it I have to stop myself from gasping in shock.

"Leah!" I finally manage to blurt out, still surprised.

"That's me," her voice is as hard as normal, but there's an edge of nervousness about it. Before I can think of something else to say I hear Trevor pounding down the stairs. He squeezes in beside me in the doorway and is clearly dismayed at me having opened the door.

"Leah," he turns to her and smiles. She smiles back, a rare thing, and clears her throat.

"Yes, that is my name. You people really like to say it huh?" Her attempt at a joke makes Trevor's eyes light up and I feel like I'm intruding on a private conversation.

"So… uh… what are you doing here?" I finally ask, feeling uncomfortable between the two.

"Trevor asked me to come over," she replies simply, looking me stonily in the eyes.

"Oh, um, alright then," I look at Trevor's sheepish face and feel like a parent who's just caught their kid sneaking out.

"Sorry I didn't tell you Val. I actually thought you and Paul would be out by now," he runs his hand nervously through his hair and looks at me apologetically.

"Its… okay," I finally say, though I'm still not sure how I feel about Trevor and Leah spending a lot of alone time together.

"So… can I come in?" Leah asks gruffly.

"Yes, sorry… Please come in," I stutter and move aside so she can step through the doorway. Trevor looks at her adoringly and I see a hint of a smile playing across her lips. My nervousness over their being together still nags at the back of my mind, but the rest of me breathes a sigh of relief over Trevor having a friend. Well, she's probably _more_ than a friend. No, don't think about it. He's still my innocent baby brother. Who's only a year younger than me. Okay, not the point.

The sound of a car pulling up in front of the house startles me out of my sisterly worry. I hear a door slam and quick steps to my front door. Leah looks wide-eyed and then thoughtful. She quickly grabs Trevor's hand and races to the kitchen, out of view of Paul. Curious. Is she embarrassed? I wonder if-

"Valerie?" Paul knocks lightly on the door.

"It's open," I call back from the small living room.

"Hey," he smiles widely as he strides into the room.

"Hey back," I respond grinning.

"So," he takes my hand, "Ready to go?" I nod and he leads me out the door to an old, silver truck.

We drive into the center of Forks and park next to a small, Italian restaurant. I think guiltily of the waitressing job I had before I quit without warning. The manager hadn't even replied to my letter. Oh well.

We enter the restaurant and settle at a wooden table with a crisp, white table cloth. Candles flicker romantically around the room, and the scent of garlic and baking bread permeate the space. I let my eyes wander slowly around the room, taking in the atmosphere. Eventually, they land on Paul. His eyes are glowing warmly in the dim light and I drink in his appearance. He has on a light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. His tanned skin shows strong, toned muscles even through the shirt. I have to catch myself from blushing when he meets my eyes. He looks nervous for once, which is a new side to him. I give him a small, encouraging smile and turn to the waiter who's just showed up.

_Paul_

At first I couldn't control my anxiety; it was just too nerve-racking. If I messed this date up I could lose Valerie. And not only lose her, but lose her to that annoying and crazy bloodsucker. _Jasper_.

I try to calm the rage that rises at the thought of him, but after the rage disperses I'm left with nervousness. Luckily the waiter had come when he did, and I wait patiently as Valerie orders and then order for myself. I press down on my knees to make my legs stop jittering.

I look at Valerie again. And I'm still speechless. I've never actually been on a proper date, and I don't know how the hell I can survive one. Any conversation gets stuck in my throat as the anxiety increases.

"So, tell me more about you," Valerie, also clearly nervous, blurts out a conversation starter. I grimace internally, praying I won't mess this up, and begin chatting, hoping I look confident on the outside. After that we fall into easy talking and laughing. A weight lifts off my shoulders and I embrace the fluid rambling of our conversation.

The food finally arrives and I am about to dig in when a buzz echoes from my pocket. Throwing an apologetic look to Valerie, I look at the cellphone to see that its Sam. Damn. I have to take it. It must be important. Stupid goddamn cellphone. I don't even carry one normally, but I wasn't expecting wolf-mode tonight.

"Sam?" I say, hoping I can just brush him off.

"Paul, you need to come meet with the pack, it's important," Sam informs bluntly.

"Why?" I feel disappointment and exasperation swell within me.

"We need to meet the vampires," he responds with a slight growl.

"Now? I'm busy," I whisper into the phone.

"Now," Sam uses his command voice and I know I have to obey.

"Okay," I reply sullenly, ready to hang up the phone.

"Oh, and bring the girl. They want her there too," he adds before hanging up.

"What's that about?" Valerie asks once I've shoved the phone back in my pocket.

"Date's over," I say grimly, "We have a meeting to attend."

**Paul's got a sweet side now... I think it suits him. Please let me know how I'm doing, thanks!**


	12. Date Night

**Hey everyone! Thank you for reading this far? I really appreciate the reviews! **

_Jasper_

The topic and reason of the meeting were still unknown to me. Of course Edward knew, but of course he knows everything. Carlisle had knocked on my door and told me that there was to be a meeting at 9 with the wolves. He'd seemed really nervous and I could tell through my amplified sense that his emotions were churning between anxiety and frustration. Odd for Carlisle to be so upset. But he'd reveal everything eventually. Or Edward would tell us, either way we'd find out.

At 8:50 I exit the house and run to the large, grassy clearing that Carlisle had set as the meeting place. I heard Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme close by, and knew Edward, Bella, and Alice were about to arrive as well. I enter the clearing and see Emmett and Rosalie in each other's arms with Esme fawning over them like a mother bird.

My smile dissolves when I spy the first wolf emerge from the woods across the clearing. Mangy mutts. Disgusting creatures. Especially that Paul. Not that it makes a difference if I hate him; I've caused so much damage between Valerie and I that I doubt any choice she makes will be in my favor. I feel a tight clench in my chest and sink into sadness at that thought.

The rest of my family joins us and more and more wolves appear out of the darkness. I smell their rancid scent and fight to keep from grimacing. Carlisle appears beside me and gives me a grim smile. I sense him trying to calm down, but without much success. I look at him and send a wave of reassurance and calm, he smiles slightly at the attempt.

Suddenly, I smell Valerie. A tall, silvery wolf trots into the clearing with Valerie on his back. My chest clenches again as I watch Valerie slide gracefully off his back and remain at his side, hand buried in his fur. That mongrel Paul is so infuriatingly close to her. It makes me want to rip his head off. I catch Edward's eye and he grins but shakes his head.

What concerns me most though, is why Valerie is actually in the clearing. Being surrounded by a group of crazy werewolves and deadly vampires is not exactly an ideal situation for a human. It makes me nervous seeing her so close to the wolves. They are unstable and dangerous. Why would she-

My gaze lands on Alice. She's standing close beside Bella and has her head down. I pick up sadness and resolution swirling within her and am taken aback with how beautiful she is. Her short brown hair smolders in the blackness of the night, and her tiny frame is lithe and feminine. I catch my breath, momentarily distracted from Valerie, and try to push away the wave of memories. Maybe the block that's been pushing my love for her away is fading. But… Valerie still haunts my mind. It's all too confusing. I love Valerie, for sure, and yet… I love Alice.

Carlisle cuts off any further thoughts I was about to have and gestures to the wolves.

"I've asked you all to be here today for a very specific reason," he sighs quietly and continues, "There is a very large threat to both of our groups." The wolves grumble deeply and sniff in surprise. "And," Carlisle goes on, "I'm sure you're wondering why Miss Valerie is here." Paul's shaggy head pops up and his body tenses at his words. I grit my teeth as he moves even closer to her. "Well, she is the reason this threat has been brought to my attention," Carlisle finishes.

"Sam wants you to get to the point," Edward remarks lightly, giving Carlisle a sympathetic glance. Carlisle nods and smiles thinly at the wolves.

"Alright," he sighs and finally says, "There is a group of extremely rogue vampires attempting to not only start a war between our two groups, but weaken the entire Volturi system and take control."

Silence permeates the clearing. All eyes turn to Valerie, begging for an explanation. She grimaces in defeat and begins speaking softly.

_Paul_

_She sounds mentally insane. Even for a vampire_

_Well she is a vampire_. Embry points out.

_Yeah, but taking on an entire clan and the sub-clans of the most powerful vampires in the world? Insanity_.

_Quiet you two! I'm trying to listen, and I can't hear over your loud mouths_. Leah snaps at us.

_Don't be mad that your boyfriend couldn't come to the party_. I smirk at her, leaning closer to Valerie.

_Paul, shut up before I rip your throat out_. Leah snarls quietly and swishes her tail.

_Like you could even to-_

"Ahem," Edward's clear voice cuts across the clearing. "Maybe if you wolves would _focus_ we could make more sense of this," he glares at us. I glare back. Leah turns her back to me. "Sorry Sam," he amends, holding his hands up, "I meant to direct that to only certain members of your group."

_Well I say we go get them now. Hit them while they're not expecting it_. I growl.

_Yeah! Take them out! _Quil and Jared nod in excitement.

_Are you really that idiotic?_ Leah coughs in disbelief.

_Are you really that bitchy?_ I throw back with a snort.

_That's it!_ Leah crouches to lunge at me.

_Enough!_ Sam bellows and stares us all down into submissiveness. _Focus_, Sam thinks wearily, _Please_.

_Yes Sam._

_Sure thing boss man._

_I will if these blockheads will._

_Of course Sam._

_Sorry Sam._

_Ok Sam. _

"As we were saying," Carlisle cuts in, looking at his family members. "We wanted this to be a group effort, and we need it to be kept secret. As Valerie has said, if the rebel group figures out that we're going to fight them instead of each other, they will strike out fast."

_Good_, I think, _Let them. This time it'll be a fight. A real fight. Something I'll enjoy. _

Valerie

After the meeting broke up, Paul took me back to town, in human form thankfully. Our interrupted meal was remedied by ice cream. I sank into the mint chocolate chip and let the stress of what had been discussed melt away.

"I'd like to get a hold of the ones who messed with you," Paul clenches his fists.

"It wasn't that dangerous," I lie, hoping to calm his anger. His fiery glare turns on me but softens instantly.

"It was," he finally replies, taking my hand.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," I say lightly, "What with all this muscle and all." I nod at my clearly thin arm that could pass for toned, but definitely not "muscular". Paul laughs.

"What muscle?" I shove him gently and sniff in fake offence. "It's okay, you're strong. And beautiful," he slows and looks into my eyes.

"Mmh over compensation for the earlier insult," I state, teasingly.

"I'm serious," he says, halting our wandering steps. "You are so breathtaking it hurts. You can't imagine how deeply your beauty cuts me. I'm never going to be the same."

I remain speechless. Mostly out of shock from this sudden deep, philosophical confession. His hands are burning and comforting. I struggle to find words as equally incredible and dazzling as his, but I'm left blank.

"I- I don't…" I trail off, uncertain of how to respond.

"You don't have to," Paul says quietly. His face quickly transforms into a light, mischievous smile. "Oh, you have chocolate right there," he points at the corner of my mouth. I pull a hand away from his and try to wipe it off. He frowns. "Nope, still there." I rub harder at the area and am sure that I must have gotten it by now. He shakes his head. "Valerie, Valerie… what are we going to do with you? Here, I'll get it, because I'm a good person," he grins and moves a hand to wipe it away.

Instead of his hand meeting my lips I feel his own press softly into mine. His hand, which had been raised in mid-air, slips behind my head and pulls me closer to him, deeper into the kiss. The kiss dissolves everything around us, and I can feel a smile spread across my face, despite the obstacle of his lips. Finally, he pulls away and cups my chin, examining.

"Mmhmm, think I got it," he bites his lip, studying hard. "Just to be safe," he pulls me back in for a light kiss and breaks away.

"Good, wouldn't want to have chocolate on my face. What would the neighbors think?" I finally manage to joke.

"You're welcome. I basically saved your life," he grins widely and puts his arm around my shoulders. I roll my eyes. "Oh, I forgot," he stops and furrows his brows. "Wait here," he pecks me on the cheek and rushes back the way we came.

We're halfway out of town and the stars are distant in the dark sky. I try to hide my shivering and wrap my arms around myself. I actually miss his warm touch around me. Without warning, strong, ice-cold arms snake across my chest and neck, squeezing me tightly. I can barely breathe and my body is held rigidly against my assailant. A quiet laugh that sounds like rustling leaves flutters the hair by my ear.

"You're going to regret telling them," the voice is melodic and smooth, cold breath tickling my cheek. They laugh again and as fast as they had come, they were gone, melting into the night.

**Once again, thank you! If you've made it this far I deeply and truly appreciate you and am grateful! ^_^ Y'all are the reason I'm still writing this! You're basically awesome.**


	13. Change I Can Believe In

**Hey everybody! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it :D It's what keeps me writing 3**

_Leah_

Those idiots of a pack. They are so damn annoying I can't stand it! If Sam hadn't been there I'd have ripped them apart. Sam. Sam. Sam! It's always Sam. Or it was. Before Trevor came all I could think about was making sure I didn't think about Sam, which ended up with me actually thinking about Sam. It never worked out well. The mind connection we wolves share didn't help. But now, it's different. Trevor is younger than me, but it feels right to be next to him. I can't tell if its imprinting, but a small part of me is disappointed that I don't instantly know if he's my imprint or not. Maybe there's something wrong with me.

"You okay?" Trevor's shining eyes gaze into mine.

"Oh, uh yeah. I'm fine," I break out of my dismal brooding.

"What's wrong?" He asks, taking my hand. Despite the strength I've obtained from being a wolf, I am comforted by his strong hand in mine and the closeness of our shoulders.

"Nothing," I lie, avoiding his gaze.

Just after the disturbing meeting with the bloodsuckers, I had changed back to human form and thrown on some clothes to meet up with Trevor. I filled him in briefly, but didn't want him to worry. I'd finally managed to distract him with resuming our "date". I'd popped a movie in the DVD player and peppered him with questions about himself. So far so good, until he noticed my gloominess.

"Come on," he smiles sweetly, "I know you're worrying about something. Is it the meeting or the vampires?"

"No," I hesitate, unwilling to admit my fears of never imprinting. "I'm just tired," I say lamely, knowing that's the biggest lie in all of history.

"Leah, I've lived with a sister my whole life. That is the worst excuse I've ever heard," Trevor laughs and moves his arm around my shoulders. Great, calling me out on my bullshit and then pulling a move like that. Smooth.

"None of your business," I almost snap, but quickly remedy it by adding, "It's top secret, a need-to-know kind of thing. Obviously, you're too, uh, cool for that." Trevor rolls his eyes and pulls me closer.

"Yeah right," he shakes his head. "If only you'd tell me, I'd tell you my super secret, need-to-know thing…" he trails off grinning crookedly at me. I raise an eyebrow curiously.

"Oh really? Can't I get a free pass on this one?" I put on my best pleading face and look up at him.

"Well," he contemplates, tapping his chin with his free hand. "Alright," he finally concedes, looking dead serious. "But you can't let anyone else in on the secret. It's really important to me. It's the kind of thing that changes your life," his seriousness makes me concentrate and I nod along with absolute earnestness

"Okay, are you ready?" I nod and prepare for the worst. Trevor nods and swiftly leans down and brings our lips together. In shock, I almost pull away, but instead I move my hands to his neck and hold him close. This kiss is warm and sweet; I feel electric inside. It's almost as if my eyes are being opened for the first time, like the blossoming of a flower. No big fireworks display or mind-blowing realization, but for right here and right now, this is perfect.

_Valerie_

I am left shaking and terrified after the mysterious vampire disappeared. I hug my sides and force my chattering teeth to stop. Panic rises in my chest and makes my stomach churn and the world swim before my eyes. This can't be happening. What have I done? I sway on my feet and don't even look up when I hear Paul approach.

"Hey," he says and then takes in my trembling. "Hey," he repeats, grabbing my shoulders and steadying me. "What's wrong?" I turn away from his concerned scrutiny. Don't panic. Don't faint. It's not real. Dream. Dream. Dream.

"It's a dream," I murmur hoarsely. "It has to be."

"Valerie. Valerie!" Paul shakes me lightly. I finally register his worried voice. I look up and see his deep, brown eyes looking anxiously into mine.

"Dream. Has to be," I feel the world growing blurry. I meet his eyes again, and more realization hits me. "Paul? What- What's happened? It's a-" I lose control of my mouth and sight and everything. I feel and hear nothing but the last sensation of being picked up before I black out.

_Jacob_

I had been waiting on his stupid steps for over an hour. When was Paul coming back? Never o'clock? Damn, now I'm late. Reneesme will be worried. Damn.

All of a sudden I see Paul trotting up. Didn't he take the truck out tonight? For a hot date with Valerie? Wait, Valerie is in his arms, and from what I can see she's unconscious. This seems to happen a lot.

"Paul. What the hell man? What happened to her?" I get up off the step and move to take Valerie in my arms so he can let us in.

"Don't touch her," Paul warns with a growl. I roll my eyes.

"Dude, first of all I am _not_ digging in your back pocket for your keys. And second, I would never hurt another member's imprint," I look him hard in the face, daring him to say it's not true.

"Fine," he hands her gently to me and goes to open the door.

Inside, he motions for me to take her upstairs. We settle her on a bed and seeing as there's really nothing we can do, we move downstairs.

"Should we call Carlisle?" Paul asks. Wow, he must be worried if he's desperate enough to call a vampire.

"Thought you hated all of them," I accuse, arms folded.

"I do, but they're not… awful," he finally admits, seething slightly.

"See? And no, I don't think this is that bad," I say reluctantly. It's a little fun to see Paul so worked up over someone besides himself. But at least the girl is okay. "So what actually happened?"

"I don't know," he sighs, sinking into a couch that has seen better days. "I left her for a minute to grab this," he holds up a thin, silver chain with a tiny crescent moon hanging delicately from a loop. "I'd had it reserved so I could pick it up and give it to her that night, but…" His eyes harden in anger. "Something must've happened. I smelled the stink of vampire around her," he finishes, tossing the chain onto the table across the room.

"I doubt any of the Cullens would've scared her that bad," I think quietly. "Well, Bella hates her, but not enough to terrify her like that," I chuckle and then pout at Paul's stone-cold glare.

"Well, whatever it was, it can't be good," Paul concludes darkly. I agree silently, and foolishly hope all of this conflict and stupidity will just blow over. Though I know it won't.

_Jasper_

"Alice," I knock gently on her door. She opens it and folds her arms around her, looking at me blankly.

"Yes?"

"May I come in?" I ask. She bites her lip in thought.

"I don't think that's a good idea Jasper," she finally says, and I can feel that she has determination running through her.

"Please? Just for a second?" I beg, gazing into her amber eyes. Beautiful gems that shine glitteringly in the dark.

As a response she reluctantly steps back, allowing me to slip past and into the room we once shared. I move to embrace her and she steps back swiftly.

"I know what happens if you do that," she says stiffly. "And I do not want that," her gaze is hard.

"Alice, I'm sorry," I say sadly. "Forever I will be sorry. And forever will I love you. I think I can push Valerie out. My attraction isn't as strong as it was. Truly, I think we can find our love again," I feel on the verge of shouting my pleas.

"Wait. It's fading? How is that possible?" Her eyes narrow in deep thought. I use this momentary distraction to speedily move closer and press my lips against hers. She freezes rigidly at first, but then softens and tentatively puts a hand on my chest and shoulder. It feels almost like it used to, but I can't shake that lingering feeling of being drawn away. The kiss intensifies and I pull Alice to the bed, fighting to quell the distracting attraction I have for Valerie.

Clothes come off, and I feel practically normal again. Alice's beautiful frame curls perfectly beside me and we kiss harder. Its passion almost overwhelms my senses and I pull her closer, running a hand from her shoulder to her hip. She responds by rolling us over, allowing every nerve within us to be consumed by the other. It's true then, I think gratefully, something's changing.

**Well now... looking back on my earlier chapters I feel a little foolish... these more recent ones are much better don't you think? **

**Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	14. The Italians Are Coming

**Hey y'all! Thanks for making it this far! **

_Paul_

The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was curling around Valerie and holding her sleeping form close. She had felt so small in my arms. It made me melt inside watching her sleep. Eventually I had dozed off with the feeling of her beating heart against mine.

I awake with her still in my arms. She's shifted and facing me, breathing still shallow and eyes closed in sleep. I spend a few seconds taking her in; her smooth skin, delicate nose, her rosy lips, the smallness of her… it's all incredible. Beautiful.

Then I make the mistake of moving. My arm had gotten cramped and I tried to carefully extricate it from underneath her head. Bad idea. I sigh in self-annoyance as her eyes flutter open, revealing deep, brown eyes with hints of hazel toward the pupils. She blinks slowly and finally smiles at me. Dark circles under her eyes show she's not entirely back to normal though.

"Sorry," I murmur, brushing away the hair that had fallen in her face.

"S'kay," she mumbles back, closing her eyes again. She sighs deeply and sits up.

"So what happened last night?" I finally can't stand waiting and have to know what scared her. She shakes her head. "What? Valerie, you can tell me. What happened?" She shakes her head again and turns away from me. I sit up, annoyance rising. I take her shoulders, reminding myself to be careful, and turn her back to me. "Please," I say.

"Can't tell you," she looks mournfully at me, eyes glistening with the beginning of tears.

"Valerie! Why the hell not?" I explode, but fight to calm myself back down. I look at her startled face and grit my teeth. "Valerie," I try again, "Please. I was so scared." This makes her look at me in shock. "No, I was _terrified_. I- I thought you might've been hurt, I… I thought you were gone… when you fainted," I gulp, pushing back the ache in my throat and chest. When I'm able to control my voice, I look back up at her. Tears have made their way down her cheeks, and she strokes the side of my face tenderly. I gulp again.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," her voice cracks and more tears spill onto her cheeks. I brush them away and bring our foreheads together. "I shouldn't have…" she trails off, shuddering at a thought unknown to me. I wait patiently, something I've grown better at. "I," she finally starts again, sniffling, "A vampire came to me last night… and, and he t-told me that I'd regret warning everybody about the rebel group," she finishes and looks down at our hands. "I'm sorry."

"No, you did the right thing. Really, now we can fight back," I try comforting her, ignoring the mix of fury and horror that the news brings. She grimaces and sniffs again. I cup her chin and kiss her forehead. She finally smiles a small smile and reaches up to meet my lips. It's soft and sweet, but it makes every nerve tingle and my hair stand on end.

"Now, how about some food huh?" I grin at her, wiping the last of her tears away and lifting her off the bed. We head downstairs to my tiny kitchen and I rummage in the refrigerator.

"Damn, guess I don't really eat at home much. Emily always feeds us and takes care of us," I shrug apologetically. I find some bread and pop some in the toaster. A flash to my left makes me turn in surprise. There, in a ray of sunlight is the necklace I'd planned on giving Valerie. Its silver crescent moon glints brightly in the light.

I pluck the necklace off the table and hide it behind my back. I walk up to Valerie, who's digging jam and butter out of the fridge.

"Hey, close your eyes," she straightens up, but doesn't turn around.

"Why?" There's a lightness to her voice that makes me sigh inwardly in relief.

"Just do it, trust me," I laugh. "Okay, are they closed?" I step close to her back.

"Yes, trust me," she throws back. I pull the necklace from behind me and bring it around to lay gently across her collar bone. I fasten the clasp.

"Okay, open," I whisper, face pressed into her hair. She gasps as her head tilts down. She brings her hand up to the charm and whips around to face me, our faces inches apart. She smiles up at me and pulls me into a hug.

"Thank you, it's beautiful," she grins and touches the moon again.

"You're welcome," I reply with a smile, "Just a little something to remind you of me and all my wolfish coolness." I shrug jokingly. She rolls her eyes.

"And," I add, "Its beauty reminded me of you."

"Cheesy," she smiles, "But keep it up, I like you as a sappy romantic." And pulls me into a kiss. I smile against her lips and grab her waist. A shrill ring pierces the quiet room. Valerie pulls away. "You should get that," she nods at the cellphone on the kitchen counter. I pull her back to me.

"It can wait," I lean down to kiss her but she pulls away again.

"It could be important," she says responsibly. I pout but grab the phone.

"Hello?" I say impatiently.

"Paul? Hey man, we need to meet again, some big news came," Jared's voice rumbles over the phone.

"Dude, I'm a bit busy," I growl, glancing at Valerie.

"It's important. Sam says he wants to discuss it with everyone," Jared insists.

"Well why? What's so important?" I demand. I hear him snarl quietly and finally sigh.

"Remember that whole situation with the vampires?"

"Which one? There are so many to choose from," I sigh exasperatedly.

"The one with the big, powerful group," he snaps.

"Yeah? Why?" I repeat, begging him to get to the point.

"Well, they're coming," his voice turns hard.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah, the Volturi are coming."

**So... I just finished the ending of the story (I've got this weird thing where I like to write ahead) ... and I hope you all like it! So this means I'll be updating a lot and getting pretty quickly to the end! But, fear not! The story continues for a bit more before it's over... so enjoy! :)**


	15. Preparing for the Storm

**Chapter 15! This one was tough to write... I couldn't get much inspiration, but toward the end I think it picked up! Thanks for reading this far! And shout out to all those who've reviewed :D you guys keep this story alive! **

_Trevor_

When Leah had left it made me feel all empty and lonely inside. She'd let me kiss her only long enough to feel her fiery heat and the softness of her lips. Mine tingled with warmth even an hour after she'd left. I'd tried staying up as late as possible, hoping to wait for Valerie to get back, but sleep got the better of me. I'd fallen asleep in a crooked position and struggled to get the soreness out of my joints.

I peek out into the hall, knowing I won't see Valerie, but duck inside her room anyway to check. Empty. She must've spent the night over at Paul's. Not that I want to think about what that means. She may be my big sister, but she's still my sister. I would hate to have to hate Paul for doing something to her. That would suck.

My cell rings loudly from my jean's pocket. I look at myself and realize I'm still in last night's clothes. Oh well. I answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Trevor! Thank god I got you," Leah's anxious voice emanates from the phone.

"What's up?" A nervous feeling wells up in my stomach.

"I need you to pack a bag and come to the reservation. Don't ask me any questions, just do it," she commands, then adds, "Please. Just come here as fast as you can."

"O-ok, sure… I'll be there soon," I hang up, stunned at the urgency in her voice.

Shaking out of my daze, I rush into action. My bag is packed with t-shirts and shorts and a random assortment of socks and boxers, and I bound downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. I scribble a quick note to Valerie that I'm taking the car and going to the reservation. I hope she can read my crappy handwriting. Whatever. Leah's waiting. That's what's important.

I situate myself in Val's old truck and start the engine. It rumbles moodily before fully turning on. I shift into drive and peel away from the curb. If Leah's nervous or worried about something it must be pretty bad. I can't imagine what it could be though. I glance at the speedometer, pushing 40 in a 30 zone. Not bad. I glance back up and freeze as the car collides with a figure in the road.

_Jasper_

A knock on the door followed what I'd assumed. I'd heard Carlisle's steps downstairs and heard him make his way swiftly up the steps. In just three seconds he'd reached the third floor. Now he was at the door, knocking.

"That's our cue to get up," Alice's smile beams up at me.

"Of course," I say mildly, running a hand along her arm. Her luminescent skin glows faintly in the dimness of the room. With much regret I untangle myself from her arms and go to the door. Carlisle's surprised face meets mine.

"Jasper," he falters, "How interesting to see you here." I smile sheepishly at him.

"What's the matter Carlisle?" Alice comes to stand beside me.

"There's some very important information I must tell you," he hesitates, "I-Well, we are expecting guests soon."

"Guests?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yes," he replies with a sigh, "The Volturi to be exact." I look back and forth between him and Alice.

"And the wolves are there too," Alice says dreamily, gazing into the future. "I can't see a thing," she frowns and sighs.

"Yes, well it seems we're going to need them around," Carlisle nods at us, "I'll see you two later, I'm going to try to talk to Sam." We nod back at him and turn to get ready.

We leap downstairs swiftly and find Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett together. They look at us, but shrug and I can feel amusement and concern swimming in their emotions. I sigh inwardly. Carlisle recruits me to find Sam, and Edward, Emmett and I race off. While I run I think about what had happened between me and Alice. I keep it simple, trying to spare Edward the details, but can't help but notice there's still that weight on my mind. It's the weight of my attraction to Valerie. I can't shake it. Even while I was kissing Alice, I felt my love for her and Valerie at the same time. It hurts deeply just to know how awful I am. Why did this happen to me?

_Valerie_

"So you're sure I should stay with you?" I ask for the fourth time.

"Yes of course!" Paul snorts. "It's the safest place for you and Trevor."

"But I thought the Vul… Vul…" Paul smirks at me.

"The Volturi," he offers.

"Yes. Them. I thought the Volturi were on the Cullens' side?" My question is muffled by Paul's quick steps. He'd forgotten his car last night and didn't want to change into wolf form, so he'd scooped me into his arms and started running.

"Well, it's complicated," he frowns slightly and concentrates.

"Isn't it always?" I laugh dryly.

"So just get stuff for a few days," Paul changes the subject.

"Ok, and just shirts and pants?" I ask, referring back to Paul's instructions. He nods, arriving at my front door.

I grab my keys and open the door. We find Trevor's note and my OCD kicks in at his awful line spacing. He's in high school! He should at least be able to write a few lines-

"Valerie," Paul looks at me patiently.

"Right, sorry," I race upstairs, worried about Paul's anxious concern. The Volturi or whatever sounds kind of intimidating. I barge into my room and grab my backpack. I stuff some shirts and pants in and thankfully remember underwear. I throw a pair of sneakers in just in case. I grab a toothbrush and pray he'll have some toothpaste. Trevor took mine. The little jerk. Once packed, I rush back to the stairs.

"So…" I lean against the railing at the top, "Just to be clear, not anything like this?" I hold up the laciest, most sexy, if you could call off-white sexy, bra I own, dangling it by the strap. I give Paul a mean grin.

"Yeah, well, y'know… T-shirts and pants are _pretty_ hot," Paul grins back.

"Guess I'll leave this behind then," I trail off, beginning to turn back toward my room. In a flash Paul's up the stairs and by my side. He smirks and pulls me closer to him.

"It'd be a shame to waste something like that," he nods at the bra. I roll my eyes.

"Well, it's going to be well loved inside my dresser," I move toward my room again. Instantly, Paul plucks the bra from my hand, unzips my backpack, and shoves it inside. He gives me an equally wicked grin.

"Waste not, want not," he says casually, throwing the backpack over his shoulder.

"Clever," I huff.

We rush downstairs. Paul's in front of me and he bounds easily down the stairs. He strides through the house and to the door. I rush to keep up with him, but am suddenly met with the corner of a table. It jabs into my right thigh and I slip in surprise. My right arm swipes against some sort of sharp edge, but luckily catches my fall. The sting is immediate.

_Jasper_

It was sudden. It was not expected. But, in an instant, it felt like a little piece of the weight that I had was being torn away from me. It felt strange. My running never faltered, but I could feel it. The weight was lighter. Something was unbinding the heaviness in my heart.

_Valerie_

A long gash from my wrist to my elbow begins bleeding. The blood wells up and drops heavily onto the wooden floor. I wince in pain, but stand quickly. Paul is beside me in seconds.

"Don't worry about it," I brush him away, wincing.

"Don't be stupid. Of course I'm going to worry about it," he says exasperatedly.

"Let's just get to the reservation," I encourage, remembering his previous urgency.

"I'll take you to Emily's again. She's good with first aid," he worriedly glances at the rush of blood, but I grab a towel, smother the wound, and head for the door. I hear his groan from behind me. "You're so damn stubborn," he swerves past me and opens the door. I pat his shoulder as I pass him.

"I know."

_Thalia_

Idiots. All of them. Idiots. I'm surrounded by drooling fools who can't even think for themselves. The Răzvrătit, or Rebels, may be strong, but they lack individuality. It's so boring. I would've thought the girl would have already told the Cullens to massacre the mutts. And yet, even though I told her not to, she exposed the plan to the wolves themselves. What nerve. She'd have made a good vampire. Too bad she must die now. Hopefully at my hand, but maybe someone else's if I'm feeling nice.

"I suggest we attack now," Sebastian growls quietly from the shadows.

"Oh please, you can wait another day," Phoebe snarls back from her side of the room.  
"I'm tired of being cooped up here," Sebastian mutters, "At least in a fight we can get some fresh air." I barely move, but I watch as Sebastian slams backward into the wall. My hand lowers.

"Don't forget your place," I snap with little enthusiasm. "Have you forgotten our divine purpose? Do you not want to rule?" I lecture at him half-heartedly. His head has sunk lower and he rightfully kneels before me. "Once the Cullens are dead, the others will come to their rescue, and finding no Cullens to save, they will be forced to join us or perish," I continue drearily, patting Sebastian's cringing head. "It's really rather beautiful. With more vampires behind our cause, the Volturi will be brought down. I'll rip their heads off myself if I need to. Now…" I croon into Sebastian's ear, "Don't you think the fighting should begin when _I _say it begins? Don't you think your _leader_ knows best?" He flinches and snarls gutturally.

"Yes." I raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, what?" I smile sweetly at his pinched face.

"Yes Master," he grimaces.

"Good," I laugh, releasing his face, "Very good."

**Thanks for reading! More updates are coming soon ;]**


	16. Confrontation

**Chapter 16! Phew, glad we made it! Thanks for reading everyone! And special thanks to those of you who've reviewed (you know who you are) - hope you all know how much I appreciate it ;)**

_Paul_

Emily emerges from the kitchen with a well-stocked first aid kit. I look at her gratefully and settle back on the couch. Valerie sits silently next to me, tenderly holding her arm. The blood had seeped through her towel by now and I bite my lip in worry. I shouldn't have let her fall. If I'd stayed closer to her I could've caught her. There's a lot of blood. It makes me feel weak.

"Wow, well we'll get this fixed up as fast as possible," Emily smiles kindly and kneels in front of Valerie.

"Do you think it'll need stiches?" She asks calmly, though I can see her tremble at the thought.

"Hm, I don't think so," Emily takes her arm and removes the bloody towel. "It's pretty bad, but that's because it's wide and luckily not deep," she finishes and pulls out wound cleaner.

"I'm sorry," I say again.

"You've said that at least five times," Valerie laughs, "It's alright! I was just being clumsy." I roll my eyes and snort.

"Yeah but if you're clumsy around me I'm expected to catch you!"

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," she retorts.

"Enough you two! You're worse than Sam and I!" Emily scolds while wiping away the last of the blood. The cut is longer and wider than I thought, almost the entire length of her forearm. Damn, I should've caught her.

Emily finishes dressing it and then helps Valerie up. We say our thanks and head to my house. As the door shuts, Valerie's phone rings. Mine rings simultaneously. We look at each other and shrug, answering.

"Paul man! Hey, come down to the boat yard," Embry sounds serious.

"What's going on?" I say suspiciously.

"The Volturi are here and want to meet by the water," he sounds nervous too.

"Okay. I'll be there soon," I finally say and hang up.

I turn to Valerie. She's talking to Trevor and after a few words a relieved look passes across her face. She hangs up and turns back to me.

"Hey, I have to go," I say lamely, "I'm really sorry… it's important." I stare at my feet, feeling like a complete asshole.

"It's okay," she smiles at me forgivingly, "You'll just have to make it up to me… I'm thinking a cheesy, romance movie watching marathon!" She grins slyly.

"Hah, you're on!" I laugh and toss her the keys to my house and run off to the docks.

_Alice_

The arrival of the Volturi made us all tense. Jasper and I's reunion hadn't exactly gone as planned either. We'd spent the night in each other's arms, and yet it was still as if he was distant to me. Something was pulling him in another direction. It pained me. Then the Volturi had come. Aro and the rest made my skin crawl.

They'd originally come to our house and when it looked as if things were moving more quickly than we'd thought, Carlisle called Jasper, Emmett, and Edward back. They'd only just been able to find Sam. The wolves' involvement meant I couldn't see a thing. It bothered me. Stupid dogs.

Now, Aro and his crew of ancient and powerful vampires was sitting in our living room. Ironic that a crowd of creatures that should already be dead should meet in a "living" room. They sat silently and unflinchingly as Carlisle told them the wolves were meeting us at the shipyard down the coast.

"I am interested in seeing this rebel group," Aro was saying nonchalantly.

"Yes, well they've made some very serious threats to my family and the wolves," Carlisle looks dark and anxious.

"Even so," Aro smiles sweetly, "I'm curious as to how they eluded our radar for so long."

"The wolves are moving now," Edward cuts in, "We should get going." Bella and Rosalie stand stiffly at his side, looking warily at the Volturi.

There's around twenty or so of them. Most remained outside out of courtesy. Aro and his closest cohorts were only allowed inside. I shuddered at the thought of what incredible powers the rest of them had.

At Edward's suggestion Aro rose and strode to the door. Carlisle followed after him.

"This should be fun," Aro laughs, stepping into the pale light.

_Valerie_

Paul leaving me was a bit of a bummer. But I couldn't blame him, he had important wolf and vampire things to do. Especially if this Volturi group was coming. It sounded very serious. Though as much as I don't like the idea of the Volturi, I would rather have them than the rebel group. They were scary and unpredictable. I never truly felt safe. Only when I was with Paul did I feel safe.

Now, as I walk toward his house I get a tingling feeling down my spine. It makes me shiver and I speed up my steps, clutching my arm tightly.

It happens in half a second. One minute I'm walking, the next I'm knocked to the ground. I look up, dazed, and see a man standing in front of me. His eyes glint red. Not a man, a vampire.

_Thalia_

It had been surprising to hear from the leader of the Cullen coven. I hadn't expected that. I should have, but I certainly won't let the others know that I was shocked. They would never see fear or doubt in me. I would lead them with strength and fury.

A meeting with the Cullens sounded promising. No doubt they wanted to fight us alone and leave the poor, mangy mutts out of the battle. In its own way that was too bad. I had really wanted to rip the head off of one of those filthy creatures myself. They'd almost hunted vampires to extinction. Revenge would be delicious.

Still, a battle with the Cullens will be a good start to the rebellion. I'm sure it will prove very cataclysmic.

_Jacob_

Sam leads swiftly through the undergrowth of the forest. I follow easily behind him and feel Quin and Jared to my left. The others are on their way. I think about what will happen next. Surely some sort of fight. The numbers of Volturi make me uneasy, but at least they're on our side. For now.

We reach more open land and go into a full-fledged run. My deep, brown fur ripples in the wind. It's exhilarating. I catch myself grinning and am reprimanded by Sam to keep a straight face.

We eventually reach the marina. Boats bob peacefully on the water, and we sniff and glance around before we step onto the dock. Nobody is around and I huff in relief that we don't have any weird story to make up about unnaturally large wolves in the area.

_I don't like this_. Leah's voice echoes in our heads as she bounds up beside us. She'd left Trevor very suddenly to come join us. She knew he was worried.

_Yeah, you and me both. _Collin murmurs.

_This dock is ridiculous_, Paul charges in, _how're we supposed to fight on such a tiny piece of crap?_

_Paul._ Sam growls. _We don't _want_ to fight today. _

_Maybe you don't, but I sure as hell do!_ Paul barks back, scratching his claws against the worn wooden planks.

_How bad can this rebel group be anyway? _Seth intercedes peaceably.

_Who knows kid_. Jared huffs and sits.

Suddenly, I hear a rustling. My ears perk up at the sound and I see gliding figures slowly emerge from our right. Vampires. Luckily, our vampires. I see the entire Cullen clan and members of the Volturi. I'm surprised the Cullens' friends didn't come, but I guess the Italians strong-armed them into keeping quiet. Stupid vampire politics. I'm just grateful Reneesme isn't here to see this. It could get bad.

I watch as the Volturi sink into the water, hidden from sight and smell. That's actually a good plan, I muse to myself. I hear the others grudgingly agree. We nod to the Cullens and I know Edward is reading Sam's mind. We all agree to wait patiently in the cover of the woods. Edward nods to Sam and we melt into the greenery.

We wait. It seems like years pass. I sit on my haunches and think about Reneesme, but I can't help but feel like something bad is going to happen. It's a weird, bone-tingling sensation. I can't shake it.

Gradually, I pick up on a smell. It's foreign to me, but Paul immediately recognizes it.

_The rebels_, he snarls.

We watch as a small group of four vampires emerges in front of the Cullens, their backs to us. Wait. I peer hard at the group. One isn't a vampire. She's being held around the neck and a hand covers he mouth. I smell her scent and react just in time to push Paul back. It's Valerie. The rebels have Valerie.


	17. Water

**The story is coming to an end... but the question is... is this the last chapter? Please read and enjoy! Thank you to all who have made it this far!**

_Edward_

I hear Paul's thoughts before I see him. He's furious. And scared. For some reason I find it both worrisome and a little amusing to hear him so scared. I finally turn my gaze over to the wolves. Sam's eyes meet mine. _Can't let them see us_. He thinks curtly. I blink once and turn back to the small entourage of vampires.

The rebels look fierce. Each has a stony look on their face. I sift through their thoughts. I am met with the most random thoughts. _Apples, apples, apples. _One runs on repeat. Another: _the woman who ran, the woman who ran, the woman who ran…_ And the third, the one holding Valerie: _blood, she smells like blood… it smells good. Good, Thal- no! Argh. Think… think… flowers. Flowers, flowers, flowers… flowers are useless._

I stare at them all quizzically. Are they all mentally insane? What's going on?

Oh… they must know about me. Strange. Is this their strategy? Not a very good one.

Then a small, faint thought pierces my mind. _I… I'm scared_. I look around. Nobody matches that thought. Except… I stare astonished at Valerie. She has a long bandage on her arm and several fresh bruises flare up around her neck and cheeks. She looks like she's in pain. And I can hear her.

_I… I'm scared_. Something's changed. Why can I suddenly hear her thoughts? They're faint, like a whisper, but they're there. Something's different.

_Paul_

I swear I'll rip every single one of them apart. No matter how many there are. The one with his hands around Valerie will get the worst of it. I can already see his mangled form burning in a fire, torn and broken. I will break him.

_Paul._ Sam's voice cuts in. _We can't let them know we're here_.

_Are you kidding me? They have _Valerie! I almost howl, but Jacob muffles my mouth with his paw.

_Not yet. _ Is all Sam says in response. The rest on the pack gives me sympathetic looks. Each of them is thinking how they're glad it's not their imprint. The bastards.

I watch furiously as the vampires drag her closer to the Cullens. The Volturi are nowhere to be seen, but I know their lurking about in the water somewhere. We wait breathlessly as the rebel group begins to talk.

"You are the infamous Cullens? A group of mere vegetarians?" The leader laughs, gripping Valerie's neck tighter.

"You need to leave and let the girl go," Carlisle says calmly. Way too calmly for my liking.

"Oh, but where would be the fun in that?" The leader laughs again.

"This can end without bloodshed," Carlisle continues, "Please, just give up this attempt for power." The rebels smirk.

"Don't you see? It's not just about _power_! You're all so naïve! Hah," the leader and the rest laugh amongst themselves. "It's about sending a message," his laugh stops instantly and he gazes hard into Carlisle's eyes. The rebels slowly start backing away. "We can smell something strange," the leader adds, still backing up to the forest, "If you really want to save this girl's life, you'll stand still while we kill you… and then, when we feel like it, we'll destroy the wolves." A menacing laugh rises up from the edge of the trees.

A line of new vampires emerges slowly, followed by another. Carlisle looks worriedly at his family. I stretch my claws, ready to attack.

"So that's it then? You won't back down?" Carlisle sounds almost apologetic. The leader, loosening his grip on Valerie, shakes his head with a grin. "That's too bad," Carlisle sighs, and gives the signal.

_Jasper_

As soon as Carlisle gives us the signal, we leap into action. I hear splashes from behind and know the Volturi have seen it too. They surge onto the dock and fall upon the rebels. The rebels give a hiss of shock, but square themselves to face the oncoming vampires. I hear howls and snarls as well and smell the rush of the wolves joining the battle. I spring into contact with the first rebel I see. I easily rip his arms off and bite through his neck. He screams in anger, but falls quickly.

The Volturi are making quick work of the rebel force. In all there must have been at least fifty or so of the rebels, but with the small band of Volturi fighters, my family, and the wolves, they didn't stand a chance. I go after another rebel. It's the leader! He doesn't have Valerie anymore! I take him down easily. How strange that a leader of a rebel group should be so weak. I glance around the dock for Valerie, praying she hasn't been hurt. I pick up on her scent and see a figure with bright, blonde hair disappear into the forest.

Swiftly, I dodge around the fighting, watching proudly as Rosalie and Edward dispatch two rebels. As I get closer, I see the blonde has someone in her arms. Valerie. The blonde is carrying her easily further into the woods. I hear the fighting get closer to me; the rebels must be falling back into the woods. I have to hurry and get Valerie.

A big, square-chested vampire hurtles into me. I crash back through the trees, but quickly bolt into him again. We fight, pushing and tearing at each other. I strain my neck to see where the blonde and Valerie have gone, but they've disappeared into the thick, grey forest.

_Valerie_

I can feel unconsciousness reaching for me. A part of me wants to fall unconscious, just until this is all over. It will be over soon, right? Cold arms grip me, holding me almost upright. I see a blur of blonde hair, and know already that it's Thalia. She holds me tightly, running past green, mossy trees. It would almost be exciting to run so fast, if I wasn't afraid.

_Paul? Trevor? Jasper? Anybody?_ I feel my heart beat grow faster. My limbs feel heavy and the bruises inflicted by the vampire named Sebastian hurt. I feel… weak. This is what weakness feels like.

Suddenly, Thalia stops. She drops me heavily on the ground and I fall, not even bothering to catch myself. I stare numbly at her feet. I feel cold and sore. Even the panic that had arisen has melted away.

"So," her voice pierces the silent forest. It's beautiful, like the voice of an angel. I feverishly sit up to look at her. Her face glows in the murkiness of the woods, and her eyes glisten in menace. Yet, she's still beautiful. I gaze in wonder. "I'm not very happy with you," she continues, "I gave you instructions and you disobeyed me. Luckily, I get to kill you myself, or else I'd be in an even worse mood." She laughs melodically.

"I-," I can't find my voice.

"You what?" Thalia grabs me by my throat and sneers at me. "It's too bad you didn't listen to me, or I'd have turned you…" she looks almost regretful. "But, because of that, you must die." She bends down and lifts me up by my neck. I don't feel a thing.

"Now, _how_ I should kill you is the question… that idiot Sebastian didn't leave me enough time…" She trails off thoughtfully. I let my eyes wander away, thinking nothing. They land on the source of a sound. The sound of a rushing river. Its high banks suggest deep water and I watch, mesmerized as the current swirls leaves and twigs around like dancers. Beautiful.

"So it's the water you desire?" I look back at Thalia, who's looking at the river as well. "So water it shall be!" In a flash she's standing in the middle of the river, me dangling limply in front of her. "Any last words?" She smiles a beautiful, malicious smile.

"I… I'm sorry," I whisper. _I'm sorry Trevor. I'm sorry Paul. Mom, dad… I'm so sorry. _

I'm plunged into the icy river. Thalia's grip holds me rigidly against the current. My skin freezes and my lungs burn. _I'm going to die. I'm sorry. _Images of my mom and dad flash through my head. Trevor, smiling as a young boy. Paul, his warmth. All flit briefly past. It's getting darker. There is no light. No guiding warmth to bring me back. Only cold and dark.

I feel a commotion begin above me. It's too late. _I'm sorry_. My lungs gasp once more before releasing. I almost welcome the deluge of water into my flaming chest. _I'm sorry_.

A touch of warmth is all I feel before I die.

**The End**

**just kidding! But she does actually die... I'll tell you that much ;] don't be too mad at me! The next and final chapter will showcase the aftermath 3 thank you to everyone who has read and special thanks to the reviewers! (Again, y'all know who you are and should feel warm and fuzzy inside)**


	18. Sound After Death

**The end is getting close! I hope you've all enjoyed the story this far and thanks for reading! Please review and also (yes I'm doing a bit of self-promotion) check out my other story/stories: more will be coming! Thanks again!**

_Jasper_

The first thing I see is Thalia. She's standing thigh deep in a river. My running slows. In her grasp is Valerie. Her head and shoulders are submerged. I listen hard for her heart beat. My own chest pounds and rage fills my eyes. I see the smallest of movements from Valerie's body. Her head bucks up, I hear a final beat. And then I feel nothing.

I stare at Thalia. I stare at Valerie's unmoving form. And I feel blank. All that rage, all that passion… it suddenly vanished. Looking at her dead body I feel nothing. All of my feelings and emotions seem like a distant dream. A bond broken by her death. I don't even feel the need to get close to her. To try to save her.

Her death meant my freedom.

_Paul_

I see Jasper's goddamn form stop, and I have to swerve to avoid crashing into him. _What the hell? _I snarl, but stop. It's Valerie. All I can see is her floating form. The blonde holds her under the water. A growl of panic rises in my throat. I take a step, but something inside me shatters. Something deep within me breaks and I feel the worst pain I've ever felt. I almost collapse. My heart pounds in agony and I fight what I already know.

Valerie is dead. The blonde sneers at me and Jasper. In an instant Jasper recovers and leaps at the vampire. He throws himself on top of her and they viciously begin fighting. My legs are like concrete.

Shaking myself, I race to the water. The freezing water feels cool on my skin and I splash roughly to where Valerie is. I bend down and scoop her on my back. I can feel the lifelessness already.

I hear a scream and look over just in time to see Jasper rip Thalia's head off. I'm too numb to even care. I climb up to the bank and let Valerie's body slide off. Her eyes are closed tightly, her fists are balled up. I almost faint.

Instead, I concentrate. Slowly, I feel control. I force myself to listen. I force myself to change back.

In seconds I feel myself back to human form. I start pounding on her chest. Live. That's all I need. Live. Live. Live.

I keep pounding and giving rescue breaths. Nothing happens. I hear nothing. Her skin stays ice and the bruises look like the hands of death reaching up for her. I feel a warm tear fall down my cheek. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. That shattered part of me is still shattered. Her face remains gray.

_Leah_

We watched as Paul bounded off like an idiot into the woods. Even if he's a hot-headed jerk, we all worried about him. He's family after all. After the fighting at the dock died down, we followed him.

About a mile from the dock we found him. Jasper was off by the water, soaking wet and looking blankly into the forest. Torn bits and pieces of a vampire lay beside him. I watched as a lock of blonde hair made its way down the rushing river.

_Paul!_ Jacob runs faster.

_Oh my god. _Seth and Quil gasp.

_She's dead_. I think sadly. Trevor. How will he manage this?

_We need to get Paul away from here._ Sam says calmly, though I can see anguish on his face. _If he stays here he'll get out of control and do something bad. _

_Paul…_ Jared murmurs.

I watch as Paul looks up at us. The look on his face makes even my heart shudder. Reminds me of the look on mom's face when my dad died. It hurts inside.

I distantly hear the Cullens run up behind us, stopping short and gazing in surprise at the scene. I know Edward can read their thoughts instantly. I decide I don't really want to know what happened.

All of a sudden I hear footsteps crashing through the forest. Everyone tenses up. Trevor bursts through a clump of ferns, breathing heavily.

_Trevor?_ I want to shield him from this sadness. This pain.

"Sis!" He pushes past the Cullens and the rest of the pack. Paul looks at him, face empty and hands grasping air. Trevor ignores him. He kneels beside Valerie's cold, unmoving body.

"Come back," he cries. He grabs her shoulders and shakes her. "You're all I have left! You need to be here!" Tears roll down his cheeks and he shivers in sorrow. "Valerie! You're my big sister! I need you! Come back. Wake up!" He continues to shout and shake her.

I feel one of the Cullens step forward, probably to pull him away, but I growl in warning. Nobody has the right to interrupt him. Nobody should take away his goodbye.

"Sis…" he cries harder, giving up on shaking her and pulling her soaking body into a desperate hug. A part of me dies watching him. Seeing him in so much pain makes my heart ache. Paul just sits there, hands open on his lap, staring into nothingness. Jasper's moved over to the rest of the Cullens. I watch as he and Edward and Carlisle exchange a few words, but I don't bother to listen in. It's not worth it.

A gray mist settles heavily over us, and I can feel weariness wash over me. It's getting late. The pain won't go away. It's not a dream after all.

_Edward_

A cough interrupts the quiet. I'd looked on sadly as Trevor cried, and I had wanted to cry myself. I wish I could. I'd dug inside his mind and found that he'd witnessed Valerie's capture. He'd run as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough.

But then a cough. I look around to see if anyone else has heard it. No one noticed. I hear it again. No one else is making any noise.

The cough sputters and images and thoughts rush into my head. It floods my sense and I'm temporarily blinded. Everything suddenly becomes clear and focused.

_Mmm… auugh… ah… _ I hear it loudly in my mind.

_Tre-Trevor._ The thought is sluggish. My head jerks up in surprise. The cough. It was from Valerie. Her thoughts, her mind- they're coming back.

I quickly stride forward. Paul looks like he wants to growl at me, but doesn't. He looks defeated.

"Valerie," I say it loudly so she can hear. _… Trevor? Tre-…. _

"Valerie," I repeat. "Louder…" My eyes snap to Paul. "Paul, speak! Now!" He gazes at me with glassy eyes.

"Why? What are you doing?" I snarl in annoyance and slam my fist into his face. "Talk to her!" I command.

"What the hell was that for? You asshole! Don't you have the least bit of respect and _decency_?" Paul shouts at me, crouching.

_Aughhh… Paul? _

"Yes, that's it!" I cry excitedly. "Keep shouting Paul!" He looks like he wants to hit me. Instead, he kneels back down.

"Valerie. If you're there…" his voice cracks but he keeps his face straight, not looking at Trevor. "Valerie. Come back to us. We need you."

_S-someone. Paul. Trevor… someone. I've died. _

"Not anymore," I mutter. "Louder Valerie! You've got to come back! You've got to be louder so they can all hear you!" I find myself clenching my fists and shouting at her.

_Louder? L-louder… _

"You have people that need you," I murmur.

"Valerie, I love you," Paul leans in close and whispers quietly.

_People… who… need… me? Trevor. Paul. Yes. I am needed? Yes. _

I feel something flutter deep inside her mind. _Louder. I need to be louder! I'm here! I want to live! I'm going to live! I'm here!_

It all comes back in a rush. I hear her heart jump and start beating, blood that had been frozen rushes back to life. Her brain, which had been cold and static, bursts with electricity and heat.

Her heart beat echoes through the forest.

**ba-dum... ba-dum... okay... so now you know. She's alive! But, there's one last bit to the ending, so keep a look out for the final chapter! Thank you for making it this far and I really appreciate it!**

**3**


	19. The Beginning Starts With An End

**Guys, its the last chapter... I'm a little sad.**

**But thank you all so much for reading this, it has been a blast to write and your reviews meant a lot to me! Enjoy this ending!**

_Trevor_

Seeing my sister dead had been heartbreaking. Watching her come back to life was incredible.

"Valerie," I say her name quietly. I can seem a warm flush spreading through her arms and face. It's a sign of life. Paul leans closer, clutching at her hands. It takes a while, but eventually her eyes flutter open. Immediately she coughs up water, gasping for air. I help her sit up and pull her into a hug. Thank god. Thank you… thank you.

She can't speak, but she looks at me and I watch as tears roll down her face. I feel my own drip onto my shirt. Thank god.

- 10 Days Later -

_Jasper_

Edward and Carlisle hadn't understood it. Neither did anyone else. But, needless to say, I was happy. I felt bad of course. Deep inside, I couldn't shake the feeling of cold, emptiness at seeing Valerie dead. It scared me that I could have be so uncaring. It made me nervous.

Alice leaps lightly beside me. I wrap an arm around her and peck her on the cheek. My love for her burns brightly now. There's nothing pushing it back. No other force pulling me in a different direction. My bond to Valerie, whatever it was, is gone.

"Jasper…" Alice trails off. I look at her curiously. "I can finally see her future," she finally says. "And Edward can finally hear her thoughts," a puzzled look forms on her face. "What does it mean?" I shrug and think.

"Who knows… she did die, if only for a few minutes…" I trail off, still surprised by how that fact no longer makes me tremble with rage or sadness. "Whatever it was, it's gone now," I say finally, holding Alice tighter.

"Does that make you sad?" She gazes up at me lovingly.

"A little," I reply thoughtfully, "But I'm glad it's gone."

"Me too."

_Paul_

"For Christ's sake stop moving!" I say in exasperation.

"I can handle it! Geez," A voice from the other rooms calls back. I hurriedly stride into the room, hands full of popcorn and soda. I set them down on the coffee-table.

"I told you not to move!" I scold. Valerie looks at me mischievously.

"That's not what you said last night," she grins and I feel a warmth creep onto my cheeks.

"Hey! That was different! That was for recuperation purposes only!" I scold her again and quickly pluck the DVD from her hand and pop it into the player.

She sighs in exasperation and walks slowly to the couch. Her bruises are slowly fading and turning yellow, but she still has a stiffness to her movements. It constantly worries me. She flops onto the couch and pulls a blanket over her legs. Ever since her "death", I've been waiting on her hand and foot. I will not allow anything else to happen to her. Ever.

_Valerie_

I don't remember much. But the things I do remember were cold and then warm. It didn't really make much sense. All I know now is that Trevor is happy again. He and Leah spend every day together. Leah's softer now, more open. I think they'll make each other very happy. That makes me smile.

"Okay, so I said "marathon" huh?" Paul grimaces and settles down next to me, coving my shoulders with his warm arm. I am terrified of the cold now; I can't even sleep without him next to me.

"You agreed to this," I nod and grin.

"Yeah, well as long as you know that I'm only doing this because I'm manly enough to take it," he sniffs proudly. I roll my eyes at him.

"Romance movies are good!" I insist.

"In what world?" He retorts.

"Jerk," I say, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Idiot," he replies, squeezing me tighter.

"Yeah, but I'm your idiot right?" I look into his deep, chocolate eyes. They shine lovingly and I already know his answer.

"Duh!"

**THE END**

**I hope you all enjoyed this story and thanks once again for reading! Love y'all 3**


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